LAKELAND, Fla.- The 2022 Southeastern University men's and women's tennis schedules have been finalized. This year's slate features a total of 18 different opponents, including a six-match Sun Conference schedule for both programs.
The SEU women are coming off a 5-7 2021 season, where the Fire finished fifth in The Sun Conference.
The Fire men are fresh off a historic 2021 season, where SEU went 8-7, advanced to The SUN Tournament Final for the first time in program history, and also made the program's first ever appearance at NAIA Nationals.
Both programs open the season on January 22 at 10:00 a.m. with a road matchup versus NCAA Division II Saint Leo University.
The Fire men open home play on January 29 at 11:00 a.m. versus Gustavo Adolphus College, who finished last season ranked No. 15 in the NCAA Division III poll. The SEU women will scrimmage at Manatee Sarasota on February 3.
Both teams open Sun Conference play against the College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick on February 5. Both teams then head to Melbourne to take on Eastern Florida State College in a pair of scrimmages on February 8.
Southeastern returns to SUN competition on February 12 at Ave Maria. Both the AMU men's and women's teams advanced to the SUN Semifinals last season. On February 16, the Fire men and women head to Waleska, Ga. to battle Reinhardt University Eagles. The Eagles advanced to the NAIA Second Round on the women's side and the NAIA Quarterfinals on the men's side last year.
The Fire will make a long-awaited return to Lakeland on February 19
th to take on Keiser University in a pair of Sun Conference matches. The SEU men fell to the eventual NAIA-runner up Seahawks in the SUN title match last season. On the women's side, KU were also national runners-up.
"The Sun Conference continues to improve. We were able to see the high level at our ITA regional event back in October," shared SEU head coach
Drew Dickens. "It was extremely important to have a competitive schedule outside of conference to not only prepare of for sun conference play, but to also show the rest of the conferences just how strong the Sun Conference is."
Both teams host another SUN matchup on February 26, as St. Thomas University comes to town. The Fire men defeated the Bobcats in the SUN Semifinals last season, although STU still advanced to the NAIA First Round. The St. Thomas women advanced to the Sun Conference Semifinals last season.
Both programs will compete at the USTA National Campus in Orlando on February 28 versus NCAA Division II Davenport. The Southeastern men and women will then host a high-caliber non-conference bout on March 4 against Indiana Wesleyan University. The Wildcats have already captured Crossroads League Championships on both sides this fall. The IWU men advanced to the NAIA Quarterfinals last season and the women the Semifinals.
"This season presents many opportunities to play against some of the best teams in the nation," remarked Coach Dickens. "I believe our team is poised and ready to take on the challenge of competing against the best."
The Fire then return to conference play in Lake Wales against Warner University on March 5.
SEU then enters a long stretch of non-conference contests starting with both teams hosting Cornerstone University on March 7 before the Fire women take on Spring Arbor University the following day at home.
On March 14, both SEU teams head down to Hialeah to take on Florida National University. The Fire return home on March 23 and 24 to host the University of Mobile, followed by Middle Georgia State University. MGSU advanced to the NAIA Quarterfinals on both sides in 2021.
The Fire conclude the regular season with a road Sun Conference contest at SCAD-Savannah on April 9.
The 2022 Sun Conference Men's and Women's Tennis Championships will take place at the Marta B. Torrey Tennis Complex in Brunswick, Ga. April 28-29.
The NAIA Men's and Women's Tennis National Championships will take place at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala. May 17-21.
