Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney tennis teams have both received at-large bids to the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

This is the third straight year UNK has made both the men's and women's 48-team NCAA Tournaments.

The 20th-ranked Loper men (19-3) are the third seed in the Central Region and will host 19th-ranked and second-seeded Southeastern Oklahoma State (15-2) on Tuesday, May 10th. First serve is set for 3:00 p.m. in Harmon Park with the Racquet Center of Grand Island serving as the backup.

The Lopers and Savage Storm, from the Great American Conference, were supposed to play on March 23rd in Durant but that dual was weathered out; a makeup date on April 13th was also called off. Last spring, UNK beat SEOSU, 6-3, in Oklahoma.

The winner advances to the "Sweet 16" in Denver May 18-21. This year, men's and women's tennis is part of the Division II Spring Sports Festival, hosted by Metro State. The Central's top team, 12th-ranked Northwest Missouri State, hosts 18th-ranked Southwest Baptist with that winner also heading to Colorado.

The Loper men are in the NCAA's for a 14th time and previously made the Sweet 16 in 2012, 2011, 2006 and 2005.  

On the women's side, UNK (18-6) is the fifth-seed in a seven team regional and will face fourth-seed SEOSU (13-3). The dual will be held this Sunday, May 8th, in Tahlequah, Okla., with first serve set for 10:00 a.m.

In 2015, Kearney got past SE Oklahoma in Durant, 5-4.

The Loper/Savage Storm winner faces 11th-ranked and top-seeded Northeastern State on Monday at 11:00 a.m. The winner heads to Colorado. Also in the Central,18th-ranked SBU is hosting a four-team regional with the winner headed west as well.

UNK is in the NCAA women's tournament for an ninth time in school history and has previously advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2012, 2010 and 2009.