May 12, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After receiving a bid to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Championship for the third consecutive season, the No. 10 University of Kentucky men’s tennis team will begin its postseason run Friday when it hosts Cleveland State at 3 p.m. ET at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.
Kentucky (26-8) will face Cleveland State (16-7) in the opening round for the third time in as many seasons. The Wildcats defeated CSU in the first round the past two seasons, taking down the Vikings 4-0 both years.
Earlier in the day, Louisville takes on Cornell at noon. The winners of the two first-round matches meet Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. The second-round winner advances to Stanford, Calif., where the remaining rounds will take place May 19-24 at the Taube Tennis Center.
Tickets for the championships are on sale now. Fans can purchase championship passes and single-day tickets by calling 1-800-928-CATS or in person at the UK ticket office at the Joe Craft Center, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Vikings were given an automatic qualifying spot in the event after claiming the Horizon League Championship. UK defeated CSU earlier this season in Lexington 6-1 after claiming the doubles point and earning singles wins from senior Brad Cox, juniors Eric Quigley and Alex Musialek, and freshmen Grant Roberts and Maks Gold.
The Wildcats are making their 22nd showing in the NCAA Tournament, including 17 of the last 18 years. This marks the eighth time since 2000, including the past two seasons, that the Wildcats have hosted the first and second rounds of the event. Last year, UK defeated Cleveland State and Georgia Tech to advance to its first round of 16 since 2002.
All of UK’s NCAA appearances have come under Emery’s direction. The 29-year Wildcat mentor ranks second in the nation among active coaches in NCAA Championship appearances. The Wildcats have advanced as far as the quarterfinals three times (1988, 1992, 2002).
UK enters the tournament after one of the best regular seasons in school history with a school-record 26 wins. The Wildcats are fresh off an appearance in the finals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, marking their second finals appearance in school history and the first since UK claimed the title in 1992.
Quigley leads the Wildcats with a No. 6 showing in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings. The native of Pewee Valley, Ky., has been ranked in the top six nationally all season long, including peaking at No. 2 in the nation. Quigley has a dual-match record of 21-7 at the No. 1 singles position, while he is 43-11 overall. Quigley was named All-SEC first team last week for the second consecutive season.
Musialek and senior Alberto Gonzalez have also been ranked high all season long with Musialek coming in this week at No. 53 and Gonzalez at No. 90. Both players were named All-SEC second-team performers.
In doubles, UK’s duo of Cox and Quigley are ranked 19th in the latest ITA poll. The tandem has played great tennis as of late, taking down three top-15 ranked tandems in their last seven matches.
Kentucky has been nearly unbeatable at home this season, posting a 16-3 record that includes wins over some of the best teams in the nation. UK’s three home losses in 2011 have come to teams ranked in the top 10 in the nation. In all, the Wildcats are an impressive 44-9 at home since the start of the 2009 season.
For more information on the Kentucky men’s tennis team, visit UKathletics.com.
Match Schedule
First Round: Friday, May 13
Match 1: Cornell vs. Louisville, 12 p.m. EST
Match 2: Cleveland State vs. Kentucky, 3 p.m. EST
Second Round: Saturday, May 14
Match 3: Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2, 3 p.m. EST
Tickets
Tickets for the championships are on sale now. Fans can purchase championship passes and single-day tickets by calling 1-800-928-CATS or in person at the UK ticket office at the Joe Craft Center, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ticket prices include:
Adult tournament pass $10.00
Child/Senior $ 6.00
Adult single day pass $ 6.00
Child/Senior single day pass $ 4.00
The Boone Tennis Complex will open for fans one hour prior to the start of competition. A will call table for fans will be located outside the stadium courts.
Parking
Reserved parking is available for visiting team vans in the R-3 lot located adjacent to the Boone Tennis Center Courts. Spectators may park free of charge in the Residential R-3 lots located on the north and south sides of Nutter Training Center. Parking Structure #7 will also be available for a fee on Friday and $3 discounted parking vouchers may be purchased at the main ticket entrance to the tennis complex. On Saturday, Parking Structure #7 will be free of charge.
