Cats to Face VCU, Rossi in First Round of NCAA Tournament
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky (15-14, 5-7 Southeastern Conference), the 36th-rated team in Wednesday’s latest Oracle ITA Collegiate Tennis Division I National Rankings, is set to travel to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the first round of the 2019 Division I Men’s Tennis Championship versus VCU (15-9, 2-0 Atlantic 10 Conference) on Friday at 1 p.m. ET.
Kentucky’s 29th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance will pit the Wildcats against UK Tennis Hall of Famer Anthony Rossi, who was named head coach of VCU last August. Before taking over for the Rams, Rossi spent three years on the Kentucky coaching staff after four prolific seasons on the court. The former ITA All-American finished his playing career under Kentucky head coach Cedric Kauffmann in his first season at the helm.
Kentucky and VCU are joined for the tournament’s first two rounds by Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Morgan State and host Wake Forest, the nation’s third-ranked team and champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Demon Deacons claimed the first NCAA team title in program history last season.
UK is led on the year by senior Ryo Matsumura, the 42nd-ranked singles player in the nation. Last Tuesday, Matsumura earned a fourth consecutive bid to the NCAA Singles Tournament scheduled for May 20-25 after posting a 15-9 overall record in 2019 dual matches, capped off by a six-match winning streak. He recorded a team-best 11 wins as Kentucky’s top singles participant and seven victories over nationally ranked opponents.
The Cats’ lone all-time matchup with VCU resulted in a 4-2 win for the Rams over 20 years ago. However, the two teams shared three common opponents in 2019. Both schools defeated Dayton and lost at Ohio State, while Kentucky won a 4-0 contest over a Virginia Tech team that defeated VCU 4-2.
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