NORMAL – The 2026 Missouri Valley Conference tournament champion Illinois State women's tennis team is headed to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to take on No. 12 seed Michigan in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Women's Tennis Championship on Saturday at the Varsity Tennis Center.

The Redbirds (18-6) will be making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance, with the last coming in 2022 when they took on No. 10 seed Ohio State in Columbus. ISU punched its ticket to the NCAA Championship after a 4-0 shutout win over Drake in the finals of the MVC Championship last weekend in Chicago.

Michigan (19-6) swept the Big Ten titles this season, winning the Big Ten championship with a 12-1 conference record and knocking off No. 5 Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament in Columbus. Joining the Wolverines and Redbirds in Ann Arbor are Florida (16-7) and Toledo (13-8), who will face off in the other matchup on Saturday. Admission is free to the Varsity Tennis Center for the event.

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