Northwest Wayne News

The Wayne State University men's tennis team is set to participate in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament this weekend at the Greater Midland Tennis Center. The team, known as the Green and Gold, enters the competition as the No. 2 seed and will bypass the first round due to their seed ranking.

In the semifinals, Wayne State awaits the winner of the match between Ferris State University and Lake Superior State University. Success in their semifinal match could lead them to face either Grand Valley State University, Purdue University Northwest, or Davenport University in the tournament's final.

The schedule for the weekend begins on Friday, April 25, with the first-round matches. Grand Valley State has also received a bye as the No. 1 seed, while Purdue Northwest will face Davenport, and Ferris State will face Lake Superior State. The second round is scheduled for April 26, with the championship match taking place on April 27.

Wayne State previously defeated both Ferris State and Lake Superior State with identical 5-2 scores during the season. Ferris State holds the No. 3 seed with a season record of 11-7 and a 5-2 conference mark, while Lake Superior State is the No. 6 seed with an 8-6 record and a 3-4 conference mark. Wayne State has lost to both Grand Valley State and Purdue Northwest this season, despite having beaten Davenport 6-1 during their encounter.

The NCAA regional rankings place Wayne State as the No. 3 squad in the Midwest, behind Grand Valley State and UIndy. The GLIAC's tournament champion, along with winners from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and the Great Lakes Valley Conference, will earn automatic bids to the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament, while five additional teams will receive at-large bids. The NCAA Midwest Regional's current ranking includes these teams: Grand Valley State, UIndy, Wayne State, Drury, Ferris State, Purdue Northwest, Davenport, Rockhurst, Tiffin, and Missouri-St. Louis.

According to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's latest national poll, Wayne State is ranked 20th. In singles play, Cedric Drenth is ranked as the 38th player, while Drenth and George Day are ranked 26th in doubles.

For further updates on Wayne State's progress in the GLIAC Tournament and potential All-GLIAC recognition, continue to visit the university's athletics webpage.