HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – With the close of the most unique season in program history, the Alabama A&M Sports Information Office is counting down the Top-10 stories of the 2020-21 season throughout the summer. Today, we continue with the No. 7 story of the season – Men's Tennis Earns First SWAC Championship and NCAA Tournament Berth.
 
Make sure to check www.AAMUSports.com every Friday to catch the latest release.
 
Story No. 7: Men's Tennis Earns First SWAC Championship and NCAA Tournament Berth
An 0-2 start among six of their first eight matches being postponed, rescheduled or cancelled would belie what would be an historic season for Alabama A&M men's tennis.
 
A combination of COVID-19 and foul weather led to those interruptions and the Bulldogs would sit at 1-6 on March 7 following a stiff non-conference schedule. At that point they would deliver an impressive comeback that would see them win their next five matches to make history.
 
They began that stretch with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Alcorn State (3/12) before blanking Prairie View A&M (3/13) by a 4-0 score to improve to 3-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). A&M would then notch a narrow 4-3 decision at Jackson State (3/20) to lock up the No. 2 seed in the SWAC Tournament.
 
It would be nearly a full month without a match, however, and after being snubbed when it came to the league's postseason honors despite an impressive campaign the Bulldogs came out ready to play – even if they did have to wait another day.
 
As it had all year, the weather continued to play a factor as Alabama A&M's SWAC Tournament opener was delayed by a day and then moved inside. With a bye directly to the semifinals as a result of their No. 2 seed, they found themselves in a nip-and-tuck affair with Alcorn (4/18) before redshirt-senior Gjorgi Popovski (Skopje, Macedonia) locked up a trip to the championship match with a clutch win at No. 2 singles for a 4-3 victory.
 
That would have nothing on that championship match, however, as the Bulldogs faced arch rival – and three-time defending champion – Alabama State (4/19). Down 2-0 and 3-2 they would rally in dramatic fashion to claim a 4-3 decision and their first ever tournament championship at the NCAA Division I level.
 
It would also make them the first team in the history of the men's tennis program to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament. That would be an accomplishment that the team, coaches and staff would celebrate as they gathered on May 3 for the selection show.
 
The name that popped up on the screen next to Alabama A&M that night would be No. 3 Tennessee (5/8), a perennial power sporting a 24-3 record that had just taken out the No. 1, No. 8, No. 12 and No. 13 teams in the country.
 
The Bulldogs would battle in their first ever NCAA First Round match before falling 5-0 to a UT squad that would eventually reach the national semifinals.
 
While not the ending they would have chosen to write for themselves, the journey to that point was one of historic proportions that included both the first SWAC Championship and NCAA Division I Tournament appearance in program history.
 
The Schedule
Every Friday throughout the Summer and leading up to the 2021-22 preseason, the SID Office will release the list one at a time beginning with the No. 10 story on June 4. The No. 1 story in Alabama A&M Athletics, as chosen by the Sports Information Office, will be released on Friday, August 6.
 
Countdown to the Top-10 Alabama A&M Athletics Stories from 2020-21
No. 1 – Coming August 6
No. 2 – Coming July 30
No. 3 – Coming July 23
No. 4 – Coming July 16
No. 5 – Coming July 9
No. 6 – Coming July 2
No. 7 – Men's Tennis Earns First SWAC Championship and NCAA Tournament Berth (June 25)
No. 8 – Softball's Coe Bursts Onto The Scene With Award Winning Season (June 18)
No. 9 – Women's Soccer Produces Record-Setting Defensive Effort In Spring Campaign (June 11)
No. 10 – Baseball Delivers DI Era Record-Tying Seven-Game Win Streak (June 4)
Honorable Mention (June 2)