SAN DIEGO – San Diego Men's Tennis had its name called as NCAA First and Second Round Hosts for the first time in program history, the overall No. 6 seed in the NCAA DI Men's Tennis Tournament selection show on Monday afternoon.
The 22-3 Toreros will take on the Big West Conference champions UC Irvine on Saturday, May 3, at 1 p.m. at the Hogan Tennis Center on America's Most Beautiful Campus. The Anteaters are 18-5 and ranked No. 49 in the last week's ITA rankings.
On the other side of the regional bracket is No. 27 USC, who will face No. 41 Arizona State at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The winner will face off with either USD or UC Irvine in the NCAA Tournament Second Round and regional final at Hogan Tennis Center on Sunday, May 4, at noon.
The Toreros bested USC 4-1 at home on Feb. 27, and took down Arizona State on the road in Tempe on Feb. 23, both without their top player, junior
Oliver Tarvet. UC Irvine is 7-4 against common opponents shared with USD this season, whom the Toreros are 12-0 against. Should the Toreros win the region, as a top-eight seed in the tournament, they're poised to host a Sweet 16 matchup the following weekend as well.
The Résumé
For San Diego, the résumé that earned the team it's first ever hosting opportunity and program-best seed of No. 6 is vast. Within the 24-3 overall record are 11 wins against top-25 teams, a 6-3 record against top-15 teams. The 22 regular season wins is the most in program history. San Diego's story of the season has been the grit and resilience – 5-1 in best-of-seven full-length 4-3 decisions, several after being down multiple points.
Winners of ten straight and 11-1 overall on home courts, USD also swept everything the West Coast Conference had to offer: 7-0 en route to a fourth straight WCC regular season title, perfect at the WCC tournament last weekend to win back-to-back titles there and an eighth in the last nine years.
San Diego swept the conference awards too, with Tarvet as WCC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, Keckley took his fifth career conference coach of the year award and
Adrien Berrut merited freshman of the year.
The Lineup
The Toreros are led by two-time WCC Player of the Year Tarvet, the third-ranked player in the country, who is 18-1 on the season, 7 wins over top-25 opponents including over ITA No. 1 Michael Zheng, and the lone loss being a medical retirement.
Tarvet combines with junior
Stian Klaassen to make the nation's No. 5 duo, a 15-3 record, and First Team All-WCC, who won the ITA Fall National Championships together. Tarvet also won the ITA Fall National Championships Singles title, making him the fifth player ever to win both titles.
At No. 2 singles is grad
Savriyan Danilov who holds a 16-4 season record and ITA ranking of No. 78. Positioned at No. 3 singles, Klaassen, who is 17-3 on the year. Both are also First Team All-WCC honorees.
Playing in the fourth singles spot is the WCC Freshman of the Year Berrut who is 13-7 in singles play. Berrut and Danilov combine at No. 2 doubles, and All-WCC Honorable Mention pairing. At No. 5 singles is German junior
Neo Niedner, 13-6, on the year and a Second Team All-WCC pick who delivered multiple of the season's big clinches, including in the WCC Championship match.
At the helm of it all is 10th-year head coach
Ryan Keckley who won his fifth career WCC Coach of the Year award, third in the last four seasons.
