FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Conference Season to Begin March 14.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Northeast-10 Conference women's tennis programs felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring, missing the chance to compete at the cancelled NCAA Championship. Beginning on March 14, however, student-athletes will once again be hitting the courts.
The NE10 has released its 2021 women's tennis schedule, which features a 10-match schedule that addresses interstate travel restrictions throughout the NE10 footprint. Click here for the full schedule.
All scheduled games are subject to change based on COVID-19 health and safety protocol.
The dates for the NE10 Women's Tennis Championship will be announced in March, as will the procedure for tournament seeding and playoff structure.
"Announcing our NE10 competition schedules marks another step on our road to resumption of play next month," said NE10 Commissioner Julie Ruppert. "Our spring sport schedules have been reimagined from previous years and represent a Conference-wide philosophy to maximize competitive opportunities while responsibly managing and minimizing travel time and exposure off campus. Our teams will be focused more than ever on NE10 play as intra-Conference games will comprise the vast majority of teams' competitive schedules."
In accordance with the announcement made by the NE10 Council of Presidents on Monday, Feb. 15, league institutions will have the autonomy to determine if they cannot safely participate in intercollegiate athletics this spring and in which sports they will not permit competition.
All teams will be subject to follow NE10 COVID-19 testing protocols, in addition to health and safety guidelines from their institutions and local communities. The safety and well-being of student-athletes remains the primary focus of the league.
"The unique approach to scheduling in 2021 adheres to the guidelines set forth by our Council of Presidents last week in approving our return to competition and for now is our new normal," said Ruppert. "Many individuals across our membership have worked cooperatively to chart this safe and responsible pathway forward for the spring sports and we are so appreciative of their efforts."
Opening day is scheduled for Sunday, March 14. The entire schedule consists of 11 playing dates, one of which remains open for each team, and concludes on Sunday, April 18. Two-time reigning NE10 champion Stonehill plays its opener at home against AIC and will not meet Le Moyne – the 2019 NE10 runner-up – until the final day of the season.
Adelphi, an NE10 champion in three of the past five seasons, will take on the Dolphins twice (March 21 and April 4) and Skyhawks once (March 28).
Attendance policies will be determined by NE10 institutions in the coming weeks.
The NCAA selection date for women's tennis is Tuesday, May 4. NCAA Regionals will be played on May 10-11 at 16 different sites. The NCAA Women's Tennis Finals will take place from May 19-22 at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex in Surprise, Ariz.
ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.