Jan. 30, 2009
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt’s 27th-ranked men’s tennis team will open its spring slate this weekend when the Commodores head to Boise, Idaho, where they will compete in the ITA Kick-off Weekend Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
Joining Vanderbilt in Boise will be No. 12 Stanford, No. 29 Auburn and No. 37 Boise State. Vanderbilt will face Auburn at noon CT on Saturday. If Vanderbilt defeats the Tigers, it will then face the winner of the Boise State-Stanford match at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday. If Vanderbilt loses, it will face the loser of the Boise State-Stanford match at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday.
The team that finishes the weekend 2-0 will be invited to compete at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships Feb. 13-16. Boise State is one of 15 schools hosting teams for the ITA Kick-off Weekend.
“We are very excited to start the season,” Vanderbilt Head Coach Ian Duvenhage said. “Our players have performed well on a consistent basis in practice during the past two weeks and at times play has even been superb. I think everybody is ready to start competing.”
Vanderbilt enters the 2009 season on the heels of advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. The Commodores have also advanced to the NCAA Tournament seven of the last eight seasons.
The Commodores return all but two players from last year’s squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and earned a final ranking of No. 26.
