No. 22 Men's Tennis Takes on Columbia in NCAA First Round
April 28, 2009
Coral Gables, Fla… The No. 22 University of Miami men’s tennis team will face No. 53 Columbia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, May 8, at 1 p.m. at the University of Florida’s Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville.
It marks the fourth-straight appearance for the Hurricanes (14-8) under fifth-year head coach Mario Rincon. Miami – who has gone 3-3 in NCAA Tournament play under Rincon – has won eight of its last 10 matches. The Hurricanes went 9-2 in ACC play to finish the regular season in second place in a league that is sending seven teams into the postseason.
“We are really excited to be back in the NCAA Tournament,” said Coach Rincon. “We are looking forward to playing a really good team in Columbia. We’re back in Gainesville again this year and we are hoping to play our best match of the year.”
“I’m definitely looking forward to playing in the NCAA Tournament,” added sophomore Christian Blocker,who is embarking on his first postseason with the Hurricanes. “After starting the season a little slow, we really got into it and put together a strong second half of the season. I’m really happy.”
Columbia (16-5) won its second Ivy League championship in three seasons with a 6-1 conference mark, and rides a three-match win streak into the NCAA Tournament. Junior Jon Wong leads the Lions with a 24-12 singles record, including a 10-5 mark at the No. 1 position.
Miami – who is making its 44th NCAA Tournament appearance and its 25th since 1977 – leads the all-time series versus Columbia, 3-2. Both teams shared one common opponent in 2009, with the Hurricanes sweeping Penn, 7-0, on Feb. 8, and the Lions defeating the Quakers, 5-2, in conference play on April 17.
The host Gators (17-8), seeded 10th in the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season, will take on Marist (12-3) on Friday at 4 p.m., with the winners of both first-round matches meeting in NCAA second-round action on Saturday, May 9, at 4 p.m.
The Hurricanes are led by four-time All-American and four-time All-ACC Men’s Tennis Team selection Daniel Vallverdu, who is ranked 12th in the nation in singles play (17-5) and 41st in doubles alongside fellow senior David Rosenfeld (8-4). Sophomore Keith Crowley and freshman Ignacio Taboada added 22 singles wins apiece for the Hurricanes this season, while All-ACC sophomore Carl Sundberg went 19-6, including a 9-1 mark in conference play.
Miami is one of seven ACC teams to advance to the NCAA Tournament this season, joining top-seeded Virginia, North Carolina, Florida State, Duke, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. The winner of each of the 16 regional sites advances to the NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship in College Station, Texas, hosted by Texas A&M. The team championship will be held May 14-19.
Individuals selected to compete in the singles and doubles championships will be announced around 6 p.m. on Wed., April 29, via the NCAA website at www.NCAA.com.
Ticket Information
Tickets may be purchased in advance or on each day of the tournament. An ALL-SESSION Pass is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for senior citizens, college students and children under 17. SINGLE DAY tickets for Friday and Saturday are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for senior citizens, college students and children under 17. Spectators interested in purchasing advance ALL-SESSION Pass may do so by contacting the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683, ext. 6800 or online by visiting www.Gatorzone.com/ticket.s
Gates will open for fans one hour prior to the start of the first competition each day. Please note that seating is on a first come, first served basis. No saving of seats will be permitted. A Will Call window for the teams will also be located at the Ring Tennis Complex entrance.
