Dalton's Men’s Tennis Makes NAIA National Tournament

Adam Hornby

Just minutes after the final NAIA Top 25 Men’s Tennis Poll of the season was announced Monday, Dalton State was awarded the ninth and final at-large spot in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics tournament on May 12-16 at the Mobile (Ala.) Tennis Center.

The Roadrunners (11-7) are competing in the first season of post season eligibility. The Monday poll placed DS in 15^th place with 204 points, only one point behind No. 14 Bethany (KS).

“The guys have invested a tremendous amount of work over the last two season,” said Dalton State Coach Zach Rogers. “”I am extremely happy to see them rewarded with the opportunity to compete at the national tournament. I am glad that our team captain and lone senior, Lucas Souza, will get the chance to get on the court representing Dalton State against the NAIA’s best.” 

The Southern States Athletic Conference leads all conferences with five teams in the national championship field. No other conference had more than three teams qualify for the national championship. 

SSAC Champions Auburn Montgomery received an automatic bid. Mobile received a bid as the host school. William Carey, a team Dalton State downed 5-4 during the season, received the No. 3 at-large spot. Coastal Georgia took the No. 5 at large position.

The field consists of 14 automatic berths, 9 at-large selections and one host berth. Automatic qualification is given to conference and unaffiliated grouping tournament champions. At-large teams were determined using the final regular-season Coaches’ Top 25 Poll released earlier today. Mobile (Ala.) received the host berth. 

Defending national champion and No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett headlines the field after claiming the unaffiliated grouping (AII/AMC/Cascade/Frontier/GCAC) automatic bid. The Grizzlies are making their second-straight and second overall appearance in the national championship as they look to win another title in just their second year eligible for NAIA postseason competition.

The Eagles of Embry-Riddle (Fla.) – 2014 national runners-up – are making their NAIA-best 16th national championship appearance, having appeared in every national championship since the current team format was adopted in 2000. The Eagles enter the competition after claiming The Sun Conference tournament championship over Northwood (Fla.), 5-0, on April 18.

Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) and Vanguard (Calif.) are second in appearances at the national championship with 15 apiece. Auburn Montgomery will be searching for its 10^th all-time national title and its first since 2010. The Warhawks won their 11th-straight Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Tournament championship on April 19 over William Carey (Miss.), 5-0. They hold a 42-8 national championship record.

Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament champion Vanguard and Mid-South Conference Tournament champion Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) are two championship mainstays looking for another run in this year’s national championship. The teams have combined for 28 national championship appearances and 29 national championship wins. Neither team has yet to claim a banner. 

Six of the 24 qualifiers have made at least 10 appearances at the national championship, led by aforementioned Embry-Riddle (16). Auburn Montgomery (14), Vanguard (15), Graceland (Iowa) (14), Lindsey Wilson (13), and Bethany (Kan.) (12) have all made 10-or-more appearances as well. Auburn Montgomery (1987, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010), Embry-Riddle (2013), Mobile (1993, 1997) and Georgia Gwinnett (2014) are the only qualifiers with at least one national title.

Five teams will be competing in their first-ever national championship—Cardinal Stritch (Wis.), Dalton State (Ga.), McPherson (Kan.), Reinhardt (Ga.) and San Diego Christian (Calif.).

Fifteen teams return from the 2014 field. 

2015 Men's Tennis Qualifiers