ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Nearly 10 days removed from its notable regional win over No. 3 Saint Leo, the Nova Southeastern women's tennis team will now shift its focus towards the next phase of the NCAA Tournament, as the fourth-seeded Sharks will square off against 13^th-seeded Southwest Baptist in the Sweet 16 at noon Tuesday in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

The Sharks have become a fixture in the NCAA Tournament, having earned a berth in each of the past three seasons in which the postseason has been held. However, in the midst of their deepest run during that span, head coach Doug Neagle knows just how special of an opportunity his team has in front of them.

"The ladies are so pumped to be here at the DII Tennis Championships," said Neagle. "They don't take anything for granted and I feel they will embrace every moment. These will be amazing memories that'll last a lifetime, and I'm so happy I get to share this with this incredible group. We are ready to leave it all out there this week!"

NSU defended its home court in the opening rounds of the tournament to reach this point, rolling past Benedict before knocking off Saint Leo for a third time this season. Now 23-3 on the year, the Sharks boast an impressive resume that includes a whopping 11 victories over Top-25 opponents, while two of their three losses are against top-ranked Barry and the other on a neutral court against then-No. 2 Indianapolis.

Also in NSU's favor is a bevy of experience. Five players on the current roster competed in last season's NCAA Tournament with the Sharks, including three All-Sunshine State Conference performers, while 2021-22 SSC Athlete of the Year Julie Razafindranaly already has her hands on three national titles while at Barry. Both Zala Dovnik and Nika Kozar are no strangers to high-level tennis, either, after competing last season at Purdue and Virginia Tech, respectively.

The Sharks will first have to get by a Southwest Baptist team whose only defeat since March 25 is against Indianapolis in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Tournament championship. The Bearcats have won 13 of their past 14 matches, using a 4-2 win over Grand Valley State to return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.

The winner of Tuesday's match will advance to face the winner of Hawaii Pacific and West Virginia State on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

For coverage throughout the week, visit NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Instagram and Twitter at @NSU_WTennis.