GREENVILLE, S.C. -- No. 34 Furman will face No. 31 Wake Forest in Athens, Ga., in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Tennis Team Championships, as announced on Monday by the NCAA Division I Tennis Committee.  The regional also features host Georgia, which is ranked third nationally, and Austin Peay.

The Paladins (21-6), who earned a No. 3 seed for just the third time in program history, will square off against the Demon Deacons (11-12) on Friday, May 7, at 10 a.m. at the Magill Tennis Complex, in the 29th meeting between the two schools.  The teams last met on February 7, when the Paladins knocked off then-16th ranked Wake Forest, 5-2, in Greenville.  The Demon Deacons lead the all-time series, 25-3.  Georgia will face Austin Peay at 1 p.m. on Friday with the winners of the two matches advancing to play Saturday at 4 p.m. 

Furman is part of a 64-team field that will compete at regional sites May 7-8 for round one, with 32 teams advancing to the second round, which will be held May 9 at the same regional sites.  The remainder of the team tournament is scheduled for May 16-22 at the USTA National Campus (Collegiate Center) in Orlando, Fla.  Individual singles and doubles play is set for May 23-28 at the USTA National Campus. 

“We are thrilled to be heading to Athens for the NCAA Championships,” said Furman head coach Adam Herendeen.  “Our team has worked hard to put ourselves into a good position heading into the tournament.  We are looking forward to a big test against a strong Wake Forest team.”

Furman, which secured the Southern Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by capturing its 20th SoCon Championship, is making its 13th appearance in the NCAA tournament.