INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Coming off a historic win in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship, Alabama A&M (6-6, 4-1 SWAC) men's tennis will make their first NCAA Division I Tournament appearance with the announcement that they will travel to No. 3 Tennessee (24-3. 10-2 SEC) on Saturday, May 8 with first serve set for 1 p.m.
 
The Bulldogs will make their first NCAA appearance since moving to the DI level in 1998-99 and will be led by a former A&M student-athlete in head coach Willis Mbandi.
 
"I'm honored to be the one leading the team having been a former Bulldog and playing here, it means so much to me," said Mbandi. "I'm extremely happy to be able to head to the tournament and play a team like Tennessee because I know the emotions that you go through as a player working towards winning a championship. Doing it for others as a coach and seeing the boys celebrating and excited about it is even more fulfilling to me as a coach."
 
Alabama A&M earned their way into that matchup with the Volunteers with a thrilling 4-3 victory over top-seeded and rival Alabama State in the SWAC Championship on April 19 and will now face one of the best programs in the country.
 
Both clubs come in having won their last five with A&M notching three straight 4-3 victories while UT has knocked off No. 1 Florida (4-3), No. 8 Texas A&M (4-0), No. 12 South Carolina (4-0) and No. 13 Ole Miss (4-1) in their last four.
 
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
 
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.

Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.