ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – The top-ranked Saint Leo University men's tennis team is set to play its opening round match of 2024 NCAA Division II national championship at the Division II festival. The four-round single elimination bracket beings Tuesday, May 21 at the Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs. As the number three seed the Lions have drawn the 14th-seed Queens (N.Y.) College and will play the Knights at noon on Tuesday.

Saint Leo advanced to the national championship bracket for the first time since 2016 and just the second time in program history. The Lions hosted the NCAA Division II South Region 2 and took home the regional title with a first round 4-3 victory over Florida Southern and then a championship final victory over Rollins (4-2).

The Lions are 22-3 overall and claimed the fourth Sunshine State Conference regular season title in program history with a perfect conference record in 2024. Saint Leo is currently the top ranked team in the nation according to the ITA rankings. Individually, Martin Soukal is ranked number two and Vincent Thiel is ranked number eight in singles. In doubles, Soukal and Luis Iriarte are ranked 28th.

Queens (N.Y.) is ranked #36 with a 17-6 overall record and is currently on an 11-match win-streak heading into the championship finals. The Knights went 5-1 in the East Coast Conference to win the regular season title and then earned a pair of wins in the ECC championship. They used a 4-0 win over Jefferson University in the CACCxECC championship match to earn the intra-league automatic bid. Queens hosted the East Regional Bracket #1 and defeated Southern New Hampshire University in the finals to earn a spot in the national championship bracket.

Saint Leo and Queens (N.Y.) will play at noon for a chance to advance to the national quarterfinals to take on the winner of (6) Washburn and (11) Wayne State (Mich.) at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22.