May 1, 2018
The 19th-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team will make its 16th-appearance in the NCAA Tournament as announced by the committee Tuesday afternoon. VU will travel to Illinois as part of the Champaign regional hosted by the eighth-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini.
The second seed in the regional, the Commodores will be joined in Champaign by the Drake Bulldogs (3) and Marquette Golden Eagles (4). The first round of the Division I Men’s Tennis Championship Tournament kicks off May 12.
“Every year is different in NCAAs because ever team you face is different,” said head coach Ian Duvenhage. “If our team is emotionally locked in, we can beat anybody. So this tournament is going to be all about how motivated we are.”
While the Dores and Bulldogs collide in the first match of the regional on May 12 at noon CT, the No. 8 Illini (21-7) will face Marquette at 3 p.m. The regional championship is set for Sunday, May 13 at 2 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Round of 16 in Winston-Salem, N.C. from May 17-22.
“We play Drake in the first round, which is a tough first round for us,” continued Duvenhage. “I don’t know much about them, but I know they’re a really good team that’s had some really good wins this year. If we get by Drake we will play Illinois. We knew since we weren’t in the top-16 that we were going to have to beat a team in the top-16. We just have to go about our business and do our job, and the rest will take care of itself.”
A total of 10 SEC squads earned NCAA Tournament berths. The Commodores do not have a conference team in their pod, but the winner of the Texas Christian regional (No. 7 TCU, No. 26 Dartmouth, No. 35 Oregon and Utah State) will be waiting in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The Commodores have Illinois roots, as junior Alex Ross hails from La Grange, a suburb of Chicago, just two hours from the Dores’ regional site.
Tickets for the NCAA First and Second Rounds can be purchased at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex beginning one hour prior to the first match each day. One ticket is valid for one admission to all matches on the day the ticket is purchased.
For updates on the tournament and a behind the scenes look at the program, follow @VandyMensTennis on Twitter.