Drury's fourth straight trip to the NCAA-II Round of 16 will start with a Wednesday date against Central Region winner Abilene Christian in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
The Panthers have won 10 straight matches, including Saturday's 5-1 triumph over Rockhurst in the Midwest Region second round at Cooper Tennis Complex, to improve to 22-4 on the season entering their Sweet 16 date in the Orlando area for the championships hosted by Rollins College Wednesday through Saturday at Sanlando Park. Drury and Abilene Christian will hook up at 12:30 p.m. (CST).
Abilene Christian defeated Tarleton State 5-0 on Friday to advance to the NCAA-II Championships for the 14th consecutive season. The Wildcats, champions of the Lone Star Conference, are 26-5 overall and ranked No. 6 nationally. Their lone loss to a D-II opponent this spring was an 8-1 setback to national power BYU-Hawaii in mid-February.
Drury is in the Round of 16 for the fourth time in coach Jarrod Smith's four seasons with the Panthers, with their best finish an Elite Eight appearance in 2006. The Panthers' win over Rockhurst was their third this season, including the finals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament in late April, when Drury captured its third straight league title.
Regional Photo Gallery
NCAA-II Championships Page (With Live Stats Link)
Panther Podcast With DU Senior Lindsey Castrodale