CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Nine 2022 NCAA Tournament participants, potentially six matches against major conference foes and the programs first-ever appearance at ITA Kickoff Weekend highlights the Charlotte men’s tennis team’s 2023 Spring Schedule.
“One of our goals since the beginning has been to assert ourselves as one of the top mid-major programs in the country,” Head Coach Kyle Bailey said. “Last year the guys took a big step toward that goal. I believe we beat every team that we faced that was either at or below our level in the rankings, while knocking off a few teams who were ahead of us.
“This year’s schedule is about consolidating that, while also taking the next step in becoming a consistent NCAA Tournament contender,” he continued. “There’s a lot of meat on that bone with this schedule, but this group is ready for it and wants that challenge.”
Charlotte opens its 2023 dual campaign with the first of a pair of trips to Knoxville, Tennessee when it competes at the Tennessee Invitational. The Niners will begin play on Jan. 8 against 2022 Final Four participant, Tennessee. Two days later, the Niners will conclude their time in East Tennessee against Big 12 foe, Texas Tech, on Jan. 10.
A week later, CLT will take a break from dual play to play in the Yale Invitational up in New Haven, Connecticut from Jan. 14-16.
On Friday, Jan. 20, the 49ers will head south to play a double header against The Citadel and South Carolina in Columbia.
Charlotte concludes the month of January with a second trip to Knoxville for the programs first-ever appearance at ITA Kickoff Weekend. CLT will take on Oklahoma in the tournament’s opening round on Jan. 27, before playing either Louisiana or Tennessee the next day to potentially play for a spot at Indoor Nationals.
The Niners will play just five times in the month of February, highlighted by their home openers against Queens and Gardner-Webb on Feb. 4.
The Green & White will close the year’s shortest month with a trip to take on in-state foe, Duke in Durham.
After a trip to Liberty, Charlotte will open its account at Halton-Wagner with a double-header against Cross-County rival, Davidson and Sun Belt foe Georgia Southern on March 11.
CLT will also host Presbyterian, C-USA opponent UTSA and ETSU all of which will bookend a weekend trip to take on Princeton and Penn on the road.
Every Charlotte men’s tennis regular season match in April will be at home when the 49ers host Georgia State, Elon, VCU and Campbell. CLT’s matchup with the Camels will be the home finale and Senior Day on April 15.
The Niners will then head to the Conference USA Championship hosted by Rice, April 21-23. The tournament will feature six teams this year following the departure of Old Dominion and Southern Miss to the Sun Belt Conference.
