The Chattanooga Mocs men’s tennis team will begin its defense of the UTR Sports NIT Championship title with a quarterfinal match against North Carolina Central on Wednesday, May 5, at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.
This opening round match is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The winner will advance to Thursday’s semifinal to play top-seeded Virginia Tech. Chattanooga leads the all-time series against NC Central, having won their only previous meeting 4-3 last year in Rome.
Chattanooga enters this year’s tournament as the No. 4 seed with an overall record of 11-12 and is making its second consecutive appearance in the event after winning last year’s championship with victories over NC Central and St. Mary’s (California). The team again opens NIT play against NC Central, following a close win over them in last year’s semifinals.
NC Central returns for its second straight season at the tournament after finishing regular season play with a record of 13-8 and going 4-1 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matches. The Eagles are led by four seniors and three juniors and have performed well in doubles competition during the dual season. Their run this year ended after a semifinal loss to Norfolk State, marking their first time since 2022 not reaching the MEAC finals.
The head coach said, “The team and I are certainly excited to defend our UTR NIT Championship. By having a solid season and finishing in the top three in SoCon play, we appreciate the opportunity to have our group keep playing together. You never know when something like this can carry over to the summer and more importantly next season.” The single-elimination tournament runs from May 5 through May 8 and features five NCAA Division I programs competing for this year’s title.
