Texas A&M Men’s Tennis travels to Waco for opening rounds

Published: May. 2, 2022 at 7:49 PM CDT
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M men’s tennis team received its 28th consecutive bid to the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship, announced Monday evening. The Aggies (21-13) will travel to Waco, Texas and will take on Tulsa (15-11) in the NCAA opening round, while No. 3 Baylor (26-3) and Abilene Christian (13-11) compete in the other first-round contest.

The NCAA Selection Committee named TCU (1), Florida (2), Baylor (3), Ohio State (4), Michigan (5), Tennessee (6), Virginia (7), Kentucky (8), Wake Forest (9), South Carolina (10), Georgia (11), Texas (12), Southern California (13), Harvard (14), North Carolina (15) and Middle Tennessee (16) the national seeds.

In addition to the five national seeds from the SEC, five additional teams were named to the field of 64 (Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Texas A&M). NCAA singles and doubles brackets will be announced Tuesday on NCAA.com.

NCAA NOTES- The Aggies are 46-29 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Round of 16 on 15 occasions, the National Quarterfinals four times and the NCAA Semifinal in 2018.- Head Coach Steve Denton is 26-14 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.- With this season’s appearance, Texas A&M has advanced to 29 NCAA Tournaments and made 28 consecutive appearances.

TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH STEVE DENTON QUOTES

On the team’s matchup in Waco against Tulsa …

They are a good team, they have had some good results this year and beaten some teams we lost to. At the SEC Tournament some of our guys were peaking ahead a little bit to Kentucky and we didn’t take care of business against Arkansas, but I’m hopeful that that lesson will motivate these guys to be ready to play against a really solid Tulsa team that is going to be good up-and-down the lineup. Their No.1 player, Kody Pearson, is a really good player from Australia and a good doubles player. They are a really talented group and we are going to have to play well if we are going to win.

On the team’s role as an underdog on the road this year in the NCAA Tournament …

This is the first time we haven’t hosted in 10 years and I like to sleep in my own bed during this week, but we aren’t going to get to do that. I’m hopeful that these guys are ready to fight and play well. And if they do, we give ourselves a good chance. Both the teams we would have to play in this region are really good teams, so we can’t overlook anyone. It’s going to be the proverbial ‘one at a time’. We have to get ready to play, but it’s a little tricky with finals going on and guys trying to finish up [the semester], but I’m confident. The last time we had a setback like we did, the guys responded well, so I’m hopeful they will do the same thing this time.

On the team’s preparedness to play on the road this year …

Obviously you are more comfortable at home. Over the years we have been a very good home team. It’s tough to win on the road in these NCAA [Tournament] matches, and it’s obviously tough to win on the road in the SEC. We have been battle tested, we have a really tough conference and all of the teams are really good. We have faced some of the best teams in the country already this year. You are hopeful that those experiences you have had over the course of the season are lesson that are learned, in wins or losses, that help prepare you for this last test that you get, because now it’s win or go home.

NCAA FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS

(Hurd Tennis Center, Waco, Texas)

First Round

Friday, May 6

Texas A&M (21-13) vs. Tulsa (15-11) – 3 p.m. (CT)

No. 3 Baylor (26-3) vs. Abilene Christian (13-11) – 6 p.m. (CT)

Second Round

Saturday, May 7

Baylor/Abilene Christian winner vs. Texas A&M/Tulsa winner – First Serve TBD

TEXAS A&M MEN’S TENNIS NCAA HISTORY: 28 TIMES (27 CONSECUTIVE)

2021 – (8th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat New Mexico (4-1); Beat Oklahoma (4-1)

Won in Round of 16 against Mississippi State (4-0) (UCF)

Lost in Quarterfinals against Florida (4-1) (UCF)

2020 – No NCAA Tournament (COVID-19)

2019 – (13th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Texas A&M Corpus Christi (4-0): lost to Oklahoma (4-3)

2018 – (5th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Lamar (4-0); beat Baylor (4-1) Won in Round of 16 against Alabama (4-0) (Wake Forest) Won in Quarterfinals against Florida (4-3) (Wake Forest)Lost in Semifinals against Wake Forest (4-3) (Wake Forest)

2017 – (12th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Buffalo (4-0); beat Oregon (4-0) Lost in Round of 16 to #5 UCLA (4-1) (Georgia)

2016 – (12th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat George Washington (4-0); lost to Texas (4-3)

2015 – (6th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Eastern Kentucky (4-0); beat Oklahoma State (4-2) Won in Round of 16 against #11 Ohio State (4-3) (Baylor, played at SMU due to weather) Lost in Quarterfinals to #3 Virginia (4-0) (Baylor)

2014 - (8th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Alcorn State (4-0); lost to Cal (4-3)

2013 - (12th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Marist (4-0); beat Texas (4-3) Lost in Round of 16 to #5 Ohio State (4-0) (Illinois)

2012 - Beat South Carolina (4-0); lost to host USC (4-0)

2011 - (9th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Alcorn State (4-0); beat LSU (4-0)Lost in Round of 16 to #8 Stanford (4-2) (Stanford)

2010 - (10th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Prairie View A&M (4-0); beat Ole Miss (4-2) Lost in Round of 16 to #7 Baylor (4-1) (Georgia)

2009 - (15th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Binghamton (4-0); beat Arizona (4-0) Lost in Round of 16 to #2 Ole Miss (4-1) (College Station)

2008 - Beat SMU (4-1); lost to host #9 Baylor (4-2)2007 - Beat Rice (4-2); lost to host #3 Baylor (4-0)

2006 - (16th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat UTA (4-0); lost to Notre Dame (4-2)

2005 - (16th seed) Beat Montana State (4-0); beat Boise State (4-0) (Boise, ID) Lost in Round of 16 to #1 Baylor (4-0) (College Station)

2004- Beat Alabama (4-0); beat host Virginia Commonwealth (4-0) (Richmond, VA) Lost in Round of 16 to #3 UCLA (4-1) (Tulsa)

2003 - (10th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Maryland-BC (4-0); beat South Florida (4-1) Lost in Round of 16 to #6 Vanderbilt (4-1) (Georgia)

2002 - (16th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Southern (4-0); beat LSU (4-0) Lost in Round of 16 to #1 Georgia (4-1) (College Station)

2001 - (7th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat St. Bonaventure (4-0); Beat Vanderbilt (4-0) Won in Round of 16 against #15 LSU (4-1) (Georgia) Lost in Elite Eight to #4 TCU (4-0) (Georgia)

2000 - (7th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Army (4-0); Beat Louisiana-Lafayette (4-0) Lost in Round of 16 against #9 Tennessee (4-3) (Georgia)

1999 - Beat Texas Tech (4-3); lost to host #4 Texas (4-1)**NCAA expanded to current 64-team team in 1999.

1998 - At Austin: Beat Arkansas-Little Rock (4-0); beat Arkansas (4-3) Lost to SMU (4-3) in regional championship

1997 - At Fort Worth: Lost to Texas (5-0)

1996 - At Austin: Beat Texas Tech (4-3); lost to host Texas (4-3)

1995 - Hosted: Beat Arkansas (4-1); lost to Texas (4-3)

1994 - At Houston: Beat Texas Tech (4-0); beat Arkansas (4-3) Advanced to Round of 16 and lost to Duke (4-1) (Notre Dame)

1985 - Lost in Round of 16 to Pepperdine (5-3)

FOLLOW THE AGGIESVisit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M men’s tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M men’s tennis team on Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter by following @AggieMTEN.

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