Grey Hamilton returns a serve. (Photo by: Evan Turner)
For the 23rd straight year, the Ole Miss men’s tennis team will be playing tennis in May, as the 64-team field for the NCAA Championships was announced Tuesday.
The Rebels earned a No. 2 seed in the Cal regional and will face Denver in the first round May 14 in Berkeley, California. Cal, the No. 13 seed overall, is hosting the first and second rounds and will face Army in the first round. The winners will meet on May 15 for a berth in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Notables…
• Ole Miss owns the fifth-longest consecutive NCAA appearance streak in the nation with 23 straight. The Rebels earned their first ever NCAA bid in 1989 and then again in 1994. They have been every year since then.
• The Rebels will meet Denver for the first time in program history.
• It marks the Rebels’ second trip to California for the NCAA first round since the current format was instituted. The Rebels traveled to Los Angeles in 2011 for the UCLA region.
• If the Rebels get by Denver, they could face a familiar opponent for a few guys on the team. Cal has three Swedes on the team, while the Rebels have two in Stefan Lindmark and Gustav Hansson, along with Head Coach Toby Hansson.
• The Rebels are also familiar with another member of the Bears team in Florian Lakat, who transferred there from Mississippi State.
Quoting Head Coach Toby Hansson…
“It’s obviously one of our goals to make NCAAs every year. We have an opportunity to close out the season on high note and it’s very exciting. The guys are looking forward to going to California.
(Photo by: Evan Turner)
Zvonimir Babic celebrates after beating Wood Benton 6-3, 6-4 on court six against South Carolina this weekend. Babic improved his record to 10-1 in dual matches, 5-1 in the SEC, and has also won seven in a row.
We know they have a nice facility and hopefully they’ll have a good crowd.”
On the first-round match against Denver…
“We are not that familiar with Denver, since we don’t face them regularly, but they’ve had a good year. We’ll familiarize ourselves more with them in the coming days and get ready for a good match.”
On potential second-round match vs. California…
“I am very familiar with the guys at Cal. They are a great group of players. It will be an interesting match-up if both teams make it through. It’s an exciting regional to be part of.”
Senior captain Stefan Lindmark…
“We’re very excited to be back in the NCAA Championships. We are going to a place where we feel that if we play well, we have a good chance to advance. I am super pumped. It’s my last year, and I am ready to make the most of this opportunity.”
On familiarity with opponents…
“I don’t know that much about Denver, but I know they’re a good team. We have to be ready to play well. It’s going to be a battle. I know four guys on the Cal team, and I’ve beaten three of them before. But first we have to take care of Denver.”
For more information on Ole Miss Men’s Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter @OleMissMTennis, on Facebook at OleMissMTennis and on Instagram at OleMissMTennis, follow Coach Hansson on Twitter at @TennisToby.
