May 11, 2018
The 22nd-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team continues postseason play this weekend, traveling to Champaign, Ill. to compete in the squad’s 16th NCAA Tournament.
The second seed in the regional, the Commodores will be joined in Champaign by host school No. 9 Illinois (1), Drake Bulldogs (3) and Marquette Golden Eagles (4). Vanderbilt is slated to take on Drake Saturday at noon in first-round action.
The winner of Saturday’s contest will advance to the regional championship, which is set for Sunday, May 13 at 2 p.m. Sunday’s regional champion will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. for the remainder of tournament play from May 17-22.
Commodore Notables:
- Vanderbilt will contend in its 16thNCAA Tournament
- The Commodores rank 22ndin the country
- Three student-athletes hold spots in the ITA singles polls, Cameron Klinger (26), Daniel Valent (31) and Baker Newman (124)
- Klinger and Billy Rowe rank 11thin doubles play
- A total of 10 SEC squads earned NCAA Tournament berths
Bulldog Basics:
- Drake men’s tennis team is making its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance
- The Bulldogs enter the tournament with a 19-13 record and won their first Summit League regular season and tournament title
- Drake has faced off against eight teams in the regular season that are in the 64-team tournament
- Drake is currently on a seven-match winning streak
- The Bulldogs last setback was on April 7 against No. 36 Old Dominion, 4-3
- Winning the doubles point has proved to be vital for the Bulldogs; they are 18-1 when they clinch the doubles point