Rebel Netters Set To Open NCAA Play In Texas

OXFORD, Miss. - The No. 18 nationally ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team is in College Station, Texas preparing for the start of NCAA play this weekend. The Rebels will face TCU in the first round Friday at 3 p.m., at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.

"We're very excited about the match we have coming up with TCU. They are a very strong team. They have a lot of tradition," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "We played them last year at Baylor, and it was a very close match. We're expecting another close match. The guys have been practicing hard, and we're healthy. We're looking forward to it."

Ole Miss is making its 17th consecutive NCAA appearance and 19th overall. The Rebels captured their ninth consecutive SEC Western Division Championship and advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals in their last action.

The Rebels (18-7) are led by All-SEC honorees Marcel Thiemann and Tucker Vorster. Thiemann earned an individual bid to the NCAA Championships in singles and doubles. Both he and Vorster have stepped up to lead the team after the Rebels lost five starters from last year's SEC Champion squad, including NCAA Champion Devin Britton and senior Kalle Norberg, sidelined for the year with an injury.

"We are looking forward to this weekend," Vorster said. "We've been playing better, and we are confident that we can take care of business. We're ready to go."

TCU earned its 19th NCAA tournament appearance in the last 20 seasons after winning the Mountain West Conference Championship. The Frogs are led by junior Emanuel Brighiu who owns a 7-6 record at No. 1 singles. He also teams with Christopher Price for a 13-7 record at No. 1 doubles. The duo is ranked No. 42 in the nation.

The winner of this match will face the winner of the Texas A&M/Prairie View A&M match Saturday at 3 p.m.

To follow the Rebels out in College Station, Texas, go to www.OleMissSports.com and click on the live stats link in the Rebel Hub.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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