Cameron Pollack | Sun Photography Editor

For the first time in program history, the men are going dancing.

May 2, 2017
Men's Tennis

Men’s Tennis Locks Up Second-Ever NCAA Tournament Bid

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Upon the NCAA field’s release on Tuesday at 5 p.m., Cornell men’s tennis learned it has earned a spot in the national tournament for the second time in program history. The team received an at-large bid for the upcoming championships, and will travel to Waco, T.x., to face Rice in the first round.

The Red’s first at large-bid to the national tournament comes fresh off its second-ever Ivy League title, which was secured last Saturday with a win in its season finale against Brown.

However, in a three-way tie with Harvard and Columbia for the Ivy title, Cornell lost the tiebreaker to secure the automatic Ivy qualifier spot for the tournament, which went to Columbia. Regardless, the team is going dancing.

Cornell finished the season with a 21-3 overall record and a 6-1 mark within the Ivy League for a No. 26 ranking by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in its most recent rankings before the selection process.

The format of the NCAA tournament will feature a 64-team field, with each of the top 16 seeds hosting a four-team regional. Each first-round round match will be played on Friday, May 12, with winners advancing to play one another on Saturday, May 13. The winners on Saturday will then advance to the final four rounds hosted at the University of Georgia.

The Red’s region of the bracket consists of top seed No. 7 Baylor, along with Lamar University and Rice. The remaining 12 teams in the Red’s quarter of the bracket include Tulane, Washington, Presbyterian College, No. 10 Texas, No. 15 Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Columbia, Purdue, Monmouth and No. 2 Virginia.

Columbia is the only team in Cornell’s quarter of the bracket which it has faced, as well as the only other Ivy in the bracket. The Red lost twice to the Lions over the course of the season, once in the ECAC Indoor Championships Finals, 4-1, and by the same score outdoors on April 1.