The Saints open the NCAA tournament later this week in Chicago against Illinois Tech.

DULUTH, Minnesota – On Friday, the St. Scholastica men’s tennis team capped an incredible run in UMAC, beating UWS 4-3 to win their 19th and final UMAC tournament championship. Now the Saints have learned where they are heading for the NCAA tournament.

The Saints are making a trip back to Chicago after playing there in the NCAA tournament in 2019. CSS will open things up later this week against Illinois Tech, who went 7-0 this spring and won the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. .

CSS and Illinois Tech have a common opponent, both beating Concordia Wisconsin this season.

“It’s kind of a dream. I mean as a coach you work for it all year round and when it’s true it’s pretty exciting. It kind of makes up for all those mornings you go to at 7 in January, when it’s a little chilly and it’s not the easiest to start, it’s kind of when you get your reward. The host sites do a really good job and they make it really special and as a coach you just look around and go wow that’s great. I think it’s a good draw. They don’t play in the same region in the fall that we are playing so I don’t know any of their players, but I think it will be a pretty competitive game, ”said head coach Wells Patten.

The Saints plan to leave for Chicago on Thursday morning. The days and times of the matches have not yet been published.