WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW men's tennis team returns to the postseason early Friday when the Seahawks square off against host South Carolina in the NCAA Regionals at the Carolina Tennis Center in Columbia, S.C.
 
Overall, the team makes its eighth NCAA appearance and its first since 2018. The Seahawks, 15-5, nailed down the Colonial Athletic Association's automatic berth following their seventh conference title last Sunday in Williamsburg.
 
Coach Mait DuBois and his club take on the No. 13-ranked Gamecocks (15-9) on Friday, May 7, at 1 p.m. No. 25 N.C. State faces Florida Gulf Coast in the other half of the regional bracket, with the champion of the four-team regional advancing to the final tournament site in Orlando, Fla.
 
Friday's match marks UNCW's eighth trip to the NCAA Regionals and its first since 2018. UNCW stands 1-7 in NCAA action and will be facing South Carolina for the second time in postseason play. The Seahawks blanked the then-ranked No. 18 Gamecocks, 4-0, on May 10, 2013, in a first-round match in Durham, N.C.
 
The Seahawks enter the 64-team event with significant momentum after winning matches in the CAA Tournament over Hofstra (4-0), James Madison (4-0) and William & Mary (4-3).
 
The team stands 69-33 (.676) in singles and 36-13 (.735) in doubles this season. Senior Michael Copeland leads the teams with 13 singles victories (13-6), while the tandem of Bruno Caula and Daniel Groom, ranked 88^th in the latest ITA's Oracle Collegiate Tennis Rankings, stands 11-4 this spring.
 
South Carolina, meanwhile, is making its 26^th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its seventh under Head Coach Josh Goffi. The Gamecocks are hosting first-round matches for the first time since 1994.
 
The 13^th-seeded Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference received an at-large berth and are making their 26^th appearance in the NCAAs. Four Gamecocks are nationally ranked in singles, including SEC First-Teamers No. 2 Daniel Rodrigues and No. 22 Connor Thomson. Eight of USC's 15 wins have come against ranked opponents, including four vs. top-20 foes.  

South Carolina is one of 11 SEC teams in the 64-team field and one of seven hosting the opening rounds. Joining South Carolina in earning a seed are No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 11 Georgia, No. 14 Kentucky and No. 15 Ole Miss. Alabama and Arkansas. LSU and Mississippi State are also in tourney.
 
Tickets for the first and second rounds at Carolina Tennis Center are $5 for fans over the age of two. Students of the four participating schools may purchase tickets for $3 with a valid University ID.
Friday, May 7, 2021 | First Round
Florida Gulf Coast vs. NC State, 10 a.m.
UNCW vs. South Carolina, 1 p.m.

Saturday, May 8, 2021 | Second Round
Florida Gulf Coast-NC State winner vs. UNCW-South Carolina winner, 1 p.m

Key Links
Tournament Central Page | https://gamecocksonline.com/feature/ncaa-mten-2021
Live Results | http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=350371
Live Video | https://bit.ly/3nPED5c