The University of Mississippi Athletics
Men's Tennis Ready For NCAA Regional
5/9/2002 | Men's Tennis
May 9, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss men's tennis team welcomes Alabama, Middle Tennessee State and Brown University to Oxford and the University of Mississippi campus this weekend, as they host the first and second rounds of the 2002 NCAA Men's Tennis Division I Championships at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
The action begins Saturday with Brown University, the fourth seed, taking on top-seeded Ole Miss at 11 a.m., followed by third-seeded Middle Tennessee State taking on second-seeded Alabama at 2 p.m. The winners will play at Noon on Sunday for the right to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in College Station, Texas, May 18-21.
"This is a huge weekend with graduation, the UM/Arkansas baseball series and our NCAA Regional," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "Our team worked hard all spring and has done a good job preparing for the NCAAs through exam week. We are looking forward to playing in front of a large home crowd and hopefully advancing to the Sweet Sixteen."
Champions of the SEC West, Ole Miss comes into the NCAAs with a 17-5 overall record. They posted an 8-3 record in the SEC and finished second in the overall standings behind defending NCAA Champion Georgia. The Rebels boast two All-SEC players in junior Alex Hartman and senior Kristofer Stahlberg, and two of the most consistent performers in the country this year, Catalin Gard and Claes Lindholm.
Brown brings a 13-9 overall record into the NCAA Championships. They captured their first ever Ivy League Championship with a thrilling 4-3 victory over defending Ivy champion Harvard two weeks ago. The victory capped off an undefeated Ivy League season for the 46th-ranked Bears, who posted a 7-0 Ivy Mark. The Bears are led by senior Nick Malone, a first team All-Ivy selection.
The second match will feature 41st-ranked Middle Tennessee State against 18th-ranked Alabama. Middle Tennessee State, a member of the Sunbelt Conference, enters the NCAA Tournament with a 16-7 overall record. They are led by 14th-ranked sophomore Daniel Klemetz at No. 1 singles.
Alabama comes into the NCAA Championships at 15-7 overall. They posted a 7-5 record in the SEC, their first winning record in conference play since Adam Steinberg took over in 1998. The Crimson Tide are led by 53rd-ranked Max Belski at No. 1 singles.
To purchase tickets fans can call (662) 915-7167 or toll-free 1-888-732-8587. The ticket office is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Tickets will also be sold at the gate in front of the tennis center on the day of the matches.
NCAA MEN'S TENNIS REGIONAL SCHEDULESaturday, May 11 Ole Miss vs. Brown University 11 a.m. Middle Tennessee State vs. Alabama 2 p.m.Sunday, May 12 Final 12 p.m.
