Men’s Tennis Set to Host ITA Kickoff Weekend
LEXINGTON, Ky. – ITA Kickoff Weekend returns to the Boone Tennis Center for a second-straight year as No. 10 Kentucky (3-0) hosts Alabama (1-2), Nebraska (4-0) and Notre Dame (3-0) this Friday and Saturday as part of the 15th rendition of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association signature event.
The Wildcats will square off with the Fighting Irish in the weekend’s first match, Friday at 1 p.m., before the Crimson Tide and the Cornhuskers do battle in the second semifinal at 5 p.m. The two winning teams will advance to Saturday’s final at 3 p.m. to play for a spot at 2024 ITA Indoor Nationals. Friday’s losing teams will meet in a consolation matchup at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Admission is free for fans with live stats and streaming also available for those unable to attend.
The top 15 teams from the 2022-23 final ITA Division I National Rankings receive an invite to host three other programs during ITA Kickoff Weekend. The 15 programs that advance from the kickoff are invited to compete at National Team Indoors, with one spot automatically reserved for the tournament host. The 2024 ITA Men’s Team Indoor Championships will be hosted by Columbia University in New York.
Kentucky has qualified for Indoor Nationals each of the past two seasons, advancing all the way to the national semifinal a year ago. At last season’s kickoff, the Cats took down Liberty and Notre Dame to grab their spot in the Championship bracket.
The Wildcats are unbeaten in the early stages of the 2024 season, capturing home wins over Northern Kentucky and EKU before edging Illinois, 4-3, in the team’s opening road match last Saturday. Sophomore Charlelie Cosnet and freshman Matt Rankin lead the Cats with 3-0 singles’ records, while the doubles pairing of Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer also boasts an unblemished mark at 2-0.
Lexington Regional Schedule
Friday:
- Kentucky vs. Notre Dame (1 p.m.)
- Alabama vs. Nebraska (5 p.m.)
Saturday:
- Consolation match (11 a.m.)
- Championship match (3 p.m.)
For the latest on UK Men’s Tennis, follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram at @UKMensTennis.
