The 26th-ranked Baylor women’s tennis team secured its 14th-straight NCAA Tennis Championships berth and its 21st in program history, the NCAA announced online Tuesday afternoon. The Bears will head to Los Angeles, along with host and 12th-seeded UCLA, NC State and Fresno State, for NCAA First and Second Round action on May 11-12.
“It never gets old hearing Baylor’s name called in the tournament, that’s what it’s all about,” head coach Joey Scrivano said. “The second half of the season, we were a completely different team and we were playing at a really high level. We weren’t surprised to be in the tournament and we got a really great draw.”
Baylor will meet NC State in the First Round at 12 p.m. (CT) on May 11. With a win, the Bears would advance to play the winner between UCLA and Fresno State at 5 p.m. on May 12.
Scrivano is making his 17th overall trip to the NCAA Championships, securing invitations at Baylor in 15 of the last 16 seasons. The Bears have advanced to the Round of 16 in 10 of the last 13 seasons, including six Elite Eight (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015) and two Final Four (2008, 2011) appearances. Baylor is 34-20 all-time in NCAA Championships action and 31-14 in Scrivano’s tenure.
Baylor enters the NCAA Championships with a 17-13 record against a challenging slate, which included 18 matchups against ranked opponents. In spite of having just one upperclassman in senior Theresa Van Zyl, the Bears held their own, notching a 7-11 mark against ranked foes. Against teams selected in the NCAA Championships field, Baylor has posted an 8-12 mark this season.
Freshman Livia Kraus, who was named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team earlier this week, brings an eight-match win streak into the NCAA Championships. She leads Baylor with 24 wins overall on the season, including 17 in dual match play and seven in tournament action.
“We feel really good,” Kraus said following the Selection Show. “We’ve been working so hard the last few weeks and after Big 12 (Championships) we’re going to bounce back. Now we’re going to work even harder, focus and hopefully make a run.”
Sophomore Jessica Hinojosa has also surpassed the 20-win threshold with 21 on the year. She has compiled 15 wins in dual match action. Sophomore Camilla Abbate, who has won six of her last eight singles matches, leads the Bears with 19 dual match victories. She went 5-2 in Big 12 play and registered a team-high three wins against ranked opponents.
The winning team from each of the 16 host sites will advance to the final site of the NCAA Championships at Wake Forest Tennis Complex in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Team competition runs from May 17-22 with singles and doubles championships following from May 23-27. Individual selections will be announced on Wednesday, May 2.
