DENVER – The No. 43-ranked University of Denver men's tennis team (23-0, 5-0 Summit) will begin the 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships with a first-round match against No. 22-ranked Michigan State on Friday, May 3, at 11 a.m. ET/9 a.m. MT. The match will be hosted by Harvard.
The winner of Friday's match between No. 3 seed Denver and No. 2 seed Michigan State will advance to the second round on Saturday against the winner of the region's other first-round match between host and No. 1 seed Harvard and No. 4 seed Boston University.
Last Time Out:
Denver won its sixth Summit League tournament title and its first since 2021 with a 4-0 sweep of Drake in the championship match on April 20. With the victory, DU extended its run as the nation's last undefeated men's Division I team this season, winning all 23 of its duals played so far in 2024.
For the second year in a row, Denver swept the Summit League annual awards as well, beginning with senior
Nicolas Herrero Cuesta capturing his second-straight Summit League Player of the Year honor. Graduate transfer
Marvin Schaber was named the Summit League Newcomer of the Year, and head coach
Drew Eberly received the Summit League Coach of the Year nod for the second-consecutive season.
Denver's History Against the Field:
Michigan State: This will be the first meeting between Denver and Michigan State.
Harvard: DU and Harvard have met four times previously with the Crimson leading the head-to-head record, 3-1, though Denver took the win in their most recent meeting (4-3 on March 18, 2016, in a neutral match held in San Diego, Calif.). The teams have never played at Harvard.
Boston University: Denver owns a 2-0 record against Boston University, both wins coming as 7-0 sweeps in matches held in the state of Colorado. It has been more than two decades since the teams last played (March 12, 2003, at Denver).
Denver's History in the NCAA Tournament:
This will be Denver's ninth trip to the NCAA Division I Championships and its first since 2021. In that most recent NCAA appearance, DU fell, 4-1, to Oklahoma in the first round after winning the doubles point.
Denver's best run at the NCAA tournament was a second-round appearance in 2013 after the Pioneers upset No. 1-seed Florida, 4-3, in Gainesville, Fla., rallying back from 1-3 down to win the final three singles matches. DU ultimately fell, 4-1, to California in the second round that season.
In three of DU's previous eight trips to the NCAA first round, Denver narrowly lost the match by scores of 4-3 (2016 against Ole Miss, 2015 against Mississippi State, 2008 against Oklahoma State).
DU made five consecutive NCAA appearances from 2013-17 and made its tournament debut in 2008.
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