Northern Kentucky’s men’s and women’s tennis teams released their spring championship schedule and are set to begin the 2017 campaign this Saturday, Jan. 14, against St. Francis (Pa.). The Norse will host the Red Flash for the first match of the season, but the contests will be played in Dayton, Ohio, with first serves for both the men and women scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
The 2017 schedule features 10 home matches for the men and eight for the women, including six doubleheaders where fans can catch both Norse teams in back-to-back matches.
The 2017 Home Schedule
· NKU’s first doubleheader of the year will be on Jan. 28 at Five Seasons Sports Club in Crestview Hills, Ky. The women will first host Dayton at 4 p.m., followed by the men taking on Abilene Christian at 7 p.m.
· The men will host two matches between Feb. 10 and 11, taking on Dayton on Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. and Chattanooga at 4 p.m. on Feb. 11. Both matches will be played at Five Seasons.
· NKU’s women host cross-river foe Xavier on Feb. 18 at Five Seasons, with first serve scheduled for 6 p.m.
· The men move outdoors on March 21, hosting Eastern Kentucky at 2 p.m. at Yeager Tennis Complex. The women host their first outdoor match the following week, with Rhode Island coming to Yeager at 3 p.m. on March 30.
· April marks the start of the home Horizon League slate, with both teams hosting Cleveland State on April 1 and Youngstown State on April 2. The women will play at 11 a.m., while the men are scheduled to start at 2:30 for both matches.
· The following week, Valparaiso and UIC come to Highland Heights on April 8 and 9, respectively. Once again, the women will kick off the action at 11 a.m. followed by the men at 2:30 p.m.
· The men will have a midweek tune-up match against Xavier on April 18, welcoming the Musketeers to Yeager at 4 p.m.
· The final home match of 2017 will be on April 22, when both teams host Wright State for Senior Day. Women’s play will start at 11 a.m. followed by the men at 2:30 p.m.
Norse Men on the Road
· The men’s squad will play an additional three nonconference matches and two League matches on the road.
· Most notably, the Norse will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, to take on the No. 15 Wildcats of Kentucky on Feb. 5, scheduled for 5 p.m.
· The team will also play Thomas More and Tennessee State on the road before moving into League play with road matches at Green Bay and Detroit Mercy.
Norse Women on the Road
· The women’s team is scheduled to play six nonconference road matches in addition to four away League matches.
· NKU’s women will also take on a Power Five opponent when the team travels to Louisville, Kentucky, to play Louisville on March 17 at noon.
· The nonconference road schedule also includes an East Coast trip to play Fairfield and Hofstra, as well as matches at Miami (Ohio), Tennessee State and Cincinnati.
· The Norse will travel to Milwaukee, Green Bay, Oakland and Detroit Mercy to wrap up the Horizon League slate.
The Horizon League Championships will be held April 28-30 for both the men’s and women’s teams, with Ann Arbor, Michigan, serving as the host of the 2017 tournament.
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Chloe Smith
Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Northern Kentucky University