DeLand, Fla. - The Stetson (18-8) women's tennis team will play California State University at Northridge (17-6) in the inaugural NIT Championship on May 17th at 1:00 PM in Atlanta, Georgia.

Stetson received the number 3-seed and will face the 6-seeded California State University at Northridge (CSUN) Matadors. CSUN is located in Northridge, California a suburb of Los Angeles and compete in the Big West Conference. The Matadors were 17-6 on the season and 6-3 in conference, their season ended in the semifinals of the Big West tournament falling to Cal Poly 0-4.

Stetson is coming off a season where they were 18-8 and 6-2 in the ASUN. The Hatters were the number 2 seed in the ASUN Championship, falling short of becoming back-to-back champions in the final match to North Florida.

"The team is super excited. Being invited to the NIT confirms that the student-athlete had a great year. The field is strong, and we will work hard to bring a trophy back to DeLand," said Stetson head coach Travis Sandlant. 

It is the first-ever NIT Championship and eight teams were selected, four of which are ranked in the top 75. The field includes #34 University of California at San Diego, #47 TCU, #62 Colorado #70 Wyoming, Appalachian State, UC Northridge, Cal Poly and Stetson. Stetson has the third highest Universal Tennis Ranking or UTR in the field. Teams were selected by the NIT tournament committee, with the team's UTR Power 6 ranking being among the main criteria for consideration.

The announcement of the NIT Championship follows the launch of the Universal Tennis Collegiate Alliance (UTCA), which was formed to help aid the future of all tennis college programs in the United States. The NIT Championship was launched due to the unanimous support from the UTCA.

All matches will be played at the Peachtree City Tennis Center in Peachtree City Georgia and will be shown Amazon Prime Video. The tournament begins on May 17. Teams are guaranteed two matches for the tournament.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS.

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