The 12th-ranked Middlebury women's tennis team has earned hosting rights and a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers will battle the winner of #17 Tufts and Hartwick in second-round action on Saturday, May 9 at 2:00 p.m. Eighth-ranked Babson also received a first-round bye and will meet the victor between Stevens Institute of Technology and Rhode Island College. Action kicks off on Friday, May 8 at 10:00 a.m. from the Outdoor Tennis Courts.

ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• The Panthers make their 21st appearance in the NCAA Tournament. 
• Middlebury has advanced to the quarterfinals 11 times, including eight of the last 11 completed seasons.
• The program sits with 35 victories in the national bracket.
• Middlebury enters the weekend at 13-6 and has won seven of its last 10 matches.
• The Panthers have logged five victories over ranked opponents this spring.

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Holding down the top flight in singles and doubles has been Elsie Van Wieren. The Panther enters the weekend with a 15-3 mark during individual action and slots seventh in the national rankings. The sophomore has also excelled in doubles, posting a 10-3 record alongside partner Anna Lardner and with triumphs in seven of their last 10 matches together.
• The duo of Ananya Annapantula and Lulu Wu continues to impress. Since pairing up on March 23 against Chapman, the junior-senior combo is 10-2 with their lone losses coming to then-#8 Pomona Pitzer and #20 Tufts. 
• Ren Barton and Diya Pachamuthu close out the doubles squads, sporting a 9-2 record in dual action at #3.
• In the second singles slot, Lardner sits with an 11-6 showing and is one triumph away from 45 in a Panther uniform.
• Wu has seen action in both the third and fourth positions during the spring portion of the campaign. The senior enters the weekend at 7-7 with five victories at #3 and touts 68 career wins.
• Sporting seven wins in the fourth flight, Barton commences her first NCAA action this weekend. The rookie ranks third on the squad in singles victories in the calendar year (12) and has claimed six of her last nine matches.
• A solid contributor near the bottom of the lineup is Charlotte McCann. She slots second with 14 wins during dual play, headlined by seven victories in the fifth position.
• Elizabeth Doak and Pachamuthu have each seen action at #6. Doak enters on a six-match winning streak and holds 11 total victories, while Pachamuthu is unbeaten at 3-0. 

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

• Four of the visiting teams tallied automatic bids to the dance by winning their conference tournaments. The Beavers (New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference) and Hartwick (Empire 8 Conference) earned their league's titles, while Rhode Island College and Stevens were conference champs in the Little East and MAC Freedom, respectively. The 17th-ranked Jumbos grabbed an at-large selection.
• Babson enters its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance at 16-4 with victories in 11 of their last 12 matches. The lone loss came to then-#10 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the regular season finale.  The Beavers have seven ranked wins, including 4-3 triumphs over then-#7 Johns Hopkins and #10 Bowdoin. Maria Cristiani, the top-ranked singles player in Division III, comes into the weekend undefeated in individual action (14-0). Rookie Sandra Sikharulidze is 12-0 in the third slot and joins Cristiani as the second Beaver with double-digit triumphs. The duo also slots third nationally in doubles at 24-2.
• Stevens enters its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament showing with a 16-2 record. Four Ducks have 10 or more victories during solo competition, headlined by a 13-3 mark at the top of the lineup by Alix Dry. Kaylee Hobbick paces the Ducks with 14 singles victories and has paired up with Dry for a team-best 13-4 mark in the third doubles slot.
• At 12-6, Tufts makes its third NCAA postseason trip in the last five seasons. Two of the Jumbos three nationally-ranked victories came in conference action against then-#15 Williams (5-2) and #12 Bowdoin (5-2). Lucy Mitchell leads the Tufts contingent with a 9-6 mark as the top singles player in the lineup. Kyra McCandless (9-2) and Melanie Woodbury (8-4) slot right behind Mitchell, with the bulk of their wins coming via the third and fifth flights, respectively. 
• Rhode Island College enters with a 16-0 record and claims its sixth berth to the national tournament. Five Anchorwomen have 10 or more singles triumphs, headlined by a 15-0 record by Haylie Peacock at #2 and 14 consecutive victories from Faith Owren. Rhode Island College is also 40-6 as a unit in doubles play.
• Rounding out the pod, Hartwick sports a 14-4 mark and makes its third NCAA appearance in the last four seasons. Maggie Van Valkenburgh paces the Hawks with 14 singles victories, while Samantha Lantzy has a 9-5 mark as the top player in the lineup for Hartwick.

SERIES HISTORY

• Middlebury has not competed against Hartwick, Rhode Island College or Stevens in women's tennis.
• Middlebury and Babson have met three times. The navy and white have won each battle, with the last being a 5-2 win during the team's spring break trip to California a season ago.
• The Panthers and Jumbos have clashed 39 times. Middlebury holds a 21-18 lead in the series and won the last battle by a 5-2 margin on April 12. The schools have seen each other in the NCAA Tournament since the 2019 NCAA Regional Final that swung in favor of the Panthers, 5-0.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• Schedule
  • Friday, May 8 (First Round)
    • #17 Tufts vs. Hartwick – 10:00 a.m.
    • Stevens Institute of Technology vs. Rhode Island College  – 2:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 9 (Second Round)
    • #8 Babson vs. Stevens Institute of Technology vs. Rhode Island College Winner – 10:00 a.m.
    • #12 Middlebury vs. #17 Tufts / Hartwick Winner  – 2:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 10 (Regional Final)
    • Second Round Winners – 11:00 a.m.
• Tournament Central

The NCAA Regional Champion advances to the final site of competition hosted by The University of the South in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Quarterfinal action begins on Tuesday, May 19 at the Champions Tennis Club.