NORMAL — As NCAA regional sites popped up one by one Monday on a big screen TV at the Hancock Stadium Club, Illinois State's women's tennis players and coaches perked up when warm-weather locales were revealed.
A few came and went, but ultimately, the Redbirds got their wish. The Missouri Valley Conference champions are headed to sunny Los Angeles to take on No. 13 Southern Cal.
ISU's first NCAA match since 2005 will be at 2 p.m. CDT Saturday after UNLV faces Texas Tech at 11 a.m. The winners meet at 3 p.m. Sunday for the right to move on.