Upcoming Big West postseason tennis representation includes the UC Irvine men and women in the NCAA Team Championships, while three individuals are participating in the 64-player singles and 32-team doubles draws.
NOTEWORTHY
UC Irvine Men Appearing In NCAA Tournament For First Time Since 2005
The UC Irvine men’s tennis team secured the program’s 10th NCAA Tournament appearance - and first since 2005 - after capturing the Big West tournament title in Indian Wells last weekend. The Anteaters defeated UC Riverside, Pacific and Cal Poly to claim their 13th tournament title - and first under the watch of head coach Trevor Kronemann. UC Santa Barbara’s streak of four consecutive tournament championships ended after the Gauchos lost to Cal Poly in the semifinals.
The Anteaters are 5-9 all-time in nine previous NCAA appearances. They lost to Pepperdine in the 2005 first round in their last trip to the postseason. UCI’s last postseason win came in 1995 when it defeated Washington.
UCI is led by a pair of sophomore first-team all-conference selections in Fabian Matthews and Sam Gould. The ‘Eaters play No. 17 California in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at UCLA’s Los Angeles Tennis Center on Saturday, May 15. First serve is at 9:00 a.m. The host Bruins take on Sacramento State in the other first round matchup. Second round action begins at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 16.
After undergoing a stretch in which they lost seven of nine matches, the ‘Eaters, who are ranked No. 57 nationally, ride a four-match winning streak into the NCAA’s.
UC Irvine Halts Long Beach State Reign
The UC Irvine women disengaged six-time defending champion Long Beach State from the Big West throne, defeating the 49ers 4-1 in the championship match of the conference tournament last weekend in Indian Wells. It was the first tournament title for head coach Mike Edles in his 14th campaign at UCI.
In winning the title, the Anteaters earned the Big West’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The ‘Eaters are making their second NCAA appearance after receiving an at-large bid for their inaugural trip in 2007.
UCI denied the 49ers of winning an unprecedented seventh consecutive tournament title, and in doing so, healed a lot of previous heartbreak. The Anteaters were on the losing end to the 49ers in five previous championship match showdowns, falling in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009. UCI also lost to LBSU in the 2003 semifinals. The 49ers lost in the tournament for the first time since the 2003 championship match to Cal Poly.
The Anteaters journey to Atlanta, Ga. for the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, May 14. UCI faces No. 17 Mississippi at 7:00 a.m. (PT) while host Georgia Tech battles Austin Peay in the ensuing match. The second round takes place on Saturday, May 15 at 10:00 a.m.
Three Big West Players Selected To NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships
The Big West will be represented by three players in the 64-player NCAA Women’s Tennis Singles Championship and 32-team Doubles Championship.
Pacific’s Jenifer Widjaja is competing on the singles side for the second straight season. Widjaja, ranked No. 82 nationally, earned an automatic bid to the field by virtue of being the Big West’s highest ranked player in the ITA rankings. In the doubles tournament, the Cal Poly senior duo of Brittany Blalock and Suzie Matzenauer will compete for the prize of being NCAA champions. Blalock and Matzenauer are ranked No. 47 in the latest ITA rankings. Competition runs from May 26-31 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga. Draws have not been announced.