by Alan Babbitt
The Hope College women's tennis team will travel to Rome, Georgia, this week for the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Flying Dutch (12-2 overall) drew a first-round bye for the 42-team tournament. The MIAA regular-season and tournament champions will face Linfield University (Oregon) in the second round on Friday, May 14 at 10 a.m. at Berry College.
On the other side of the bracket, Moravian College (Pennsylvania) will play Transylvania University (Kentucky) in a first-round match on Thursday, May 13, with the winner advancing to meet Wesleyan University (Connecticut) in the second round.
Second-round winners will square off on Saturday, May 15 for a berth in the national quarterfinals in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Photo of Sydney Jackson by Lynne Powe
Hope is making ninth consecutive postseason appearance and 15th overall after earning the MIAA's automatic berth to nationals. On Friday, top-seeded Hope defeated second-seeded Kalamazoo College, 5-3, in the MIAA Tournament final.
Hope's NCAA Championship History
The Flying Dutch enter the national tournament with a 12-2 record. Their two losses are both to NCAA Division II opponents.
Hope's top finish in the current NCAA Tournament format is a regional runner-up effort in 2017.
The Flying Dutch finished fifth at the 1988 eight-team championship tournament. Hope lost to eventual national champion Mary Washington (Virginia), 5-4, in the first round. In consolation play, the Flying Dutch beat Emory (Georgia), 5-2, and Pomona-Pitzer (California), 5-3.
