May 8, 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy tennis team will begin play in its second NCAA Tournament in as many years Saturday morning when the Midshipmen face Florida in a 10 a.m. match in Gainesville, Fla.

"We are just coming out of exams and are looking forward to the NCAA Tournament," said John Officer. "We have our work cut out for us against Florida. They are a young bur very talented team. Their win over Mississippi during the regular season was impressive. We will need to be aggressive from the opening point."

The Midshipmen, 20-8 on the year, advanced to the NCAA Tournament by winning the recent Patriot League Tournament. It was the second-straight league title claimed by the Mids and the sixth Patriot League crown won in program history.

This will be Navy's third trip to the NCAA Tournament under the current dual match format for the championship that was established in 1977. Previously, the Mids lost a 4-1 decision to Mississippi in 1999 and dropped a 4-0 contest last year to Texas.

Florida is the No. 10 seed in the 64-team field and is ranked ninth in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Ranking. The Gators received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after posting a 15-7 record on the year and advancing to the title match of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Saturday's match will mark the first meeting between the Mids and the Gators.

The winner of the Navy-Florida match will play Sunday at 1 p.m. in the second round of the tournament against either South Florida or Miami (Fla.). The Hurricanes compiled a record of 16-7 this year and are ranked 19th nationally, while the Bulls enter the tournament with a 14-6 record and a national ranking of No. 42.

Florida's web site, www.gatorzone.com, will provide live scoring updates of all matches this weekend.