Waterville, Maine - After a regular season that tested their depth against the best in Division III, the Colby Women's Tennis team has punched their ticket to the postseason for the fifth consecutive year. The Mules have secured the No. 8 seed in the 2026 NESCAC Women's Tennis Championship and are headed to Middlebury, Vermont, to face the No. 1 seeded and third ranked in Division III Wesleyan Cardinals this Friday, May 1. This marks the second straight year the two teams have faced off in the opening round of the conference tournament. 

Colby (7-10, 3-7 NESCAC) enters the tournament following a grueling stretch where they faced three top-20 opponents in the final week alone. While the schedule was demanding, it allowed the Mules to find their form ahead of the high-stakes conference bracket.

The quarterfinal matchup serves as a rematch from April 11, when the Cardinals visited Waterville. Although Wesleyan took the match 6-1, the Mules proved they could disrupt the top seed's rhythm. Waka Aida provided a major highlight in that meeting, delivering a clinical 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 6 singles.

Coming off a season finale where they pushed No. 19 Williams to a narrow 4-3 finish, the Mules are playing their most competitive tennis of the year at exactly the right time.

Colby is looking to advance out of the first round for the first time since the conference moved to its current tournament format. A win on Friday would send them to the NESCAC Semifinals on Saturday, May 2, to face the winner of the No. 4 Amherst vs. No. 5 Tufts matchup.

Friday's quarterfinal matchup is schedule for an early 9:00am start at tournament hosts Middlebury. Fans can follow the action using the live results and live video links as well check out the NESCAC Championship Central page for more information.