Texas Tech University Athletics
No. 22 Red Raiders Ready for First Round of NCAA Tournament
May 02, 2019 | Men's Tennis
Men's tennis seeking first trip to the round of 16 since 2005
PALO ALTO, Calif. – The No. 22 Texas Tech men's tennis team is in Palo Alto, Calif. to compete in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, beginning with a match against UC-Santa Barbara on Friday at 1 p.m. CT.
The Red Raiders (15-11) secured their fourth tournament berth in five years, and the third in four years under head coach Brett Masi. Tech will be facing UCSB (16-6) for the first time since 2015, where they defeated the Gauchos in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 4-2, to advance to the second round of play.
The winner of Friday's opening round battle will advance to face the winner of regional host No. 12 Stanford and Fresno State. Saturday's second round match will take place at 5 p.m. CT, with the regional champion advancing to the NCAA Round of 16.
The No. 9 ranked tandem of Bjorn Thomson and Parker Wynn, who were recently chosen to participate in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championship and were selected to the All-Big 12 First Team, have led the way for Tech on the doubles side this year, tallying 14 dual match victories and notching five wins over nationally ranked foes. The No. 2 position, headed by Jackson Cobb and Tommy Mylnikov, has produced 13 wins for the Red Raiders in the spring alone.
No. 75 Wynn, freshman Franco Ribero and sophomore Ilgiz Valiev have all produced 10-plus wins for the Red Raiders in singles action with 16, 15 and 11, respectively. Wynn and Valiev have both tallied three wins against ranked opponents, as Valiev leads the team with a .750 winning percentage.
Wynn and Valiev were recently recognized for their individual efforts by the Big 12 Conference. Wynn received Second Team All-Big 12 honors, while Valiev was named singles champion in the No. 3 position.
Seniors Artem Kapshuk and No. 102 Mylnikov have also provided Tech with strong singles play, as the two veterans have 13 wins on the year, including two in conference play.
Tech has found consistency with the individual play of Bjorn Thomson, who found his stride toward the end of the season by ranking up four wins, including one over a nationally ranked competitor, in his final six decided matches.
The Red Raiders will look to continue their emphasis of starting the match on their own terms, as they have recorded 16 doubles points during the spring, losing only three of their matches when they do so.
Visit www.TexasTech.com for the latest news and information on the Texas Tech men's tennis program. Fans are also encouraged to follow the program on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/techmenstennis and @TexasTechMTEN on Twitter and Instagram.
2019 NCAA Palo Alto Regional
Friday, May 3
Match 1: Texas Tech vs. UC Santa Barbara – 1 p.m. CT
Match 2: No. 12 Stanford vs. Fresno State – 4 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 4
Match 3: Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner – 5 p.m. CT
The Red Raiders (15-11) secured their fourth tournament berth in five years, and the third in four years under head coach Brett Masi. Tech will be facing UCSB (16-6) for the first time since 2015, where they defeated the Gauchos in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 4-2, to advance to the second round of play.
The winner of Friday's opening round battle will advance to face the winner of regional host No. 12 Stanford and Fresno State. Saturday's second round match will take place at 5 p.m. CT, with the regional champion advancing to the NCAA Round of 16.
The No. 9 ranked tandem of Bjorn Thomson and Parker Wynn, who were recently chosen to participate in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championship and were selected to the All-Big 12 First Team, have led the way for Tech on the doubles side this year, tallying 14 dual match victories and notching five wins over nationally ranked foes. The No. 2 position, headed by Jackson Cobb and Tommy Mylnikov, has produced 13 wins for the Red Raiders in the spring alone.
No. 75 Wynn, freshman Franco Ribero and sophomore Ilgiz Valiev have all produced 10-plus wins for the Red Raiders in singles action with 16, 15 and 11, respectively. Wynn and Valiev have both tallied three wins against ranked opponents, as Valiev leads the team with a .750 winning percentage.
Wynn and Valiev were recently recognized for their individual efforts by the Big 12 Conference. Wynn received Second Team All-Big 12 honors, while Valiev was named singles champion in the No. 3 position.
Seniors Artem Kapshuk and No. 102 Mylnikov have also provided Tech with strong singles play, as the two veterans have 13 wins on the year, including two in conference play.
Tech has found consistency with the individual play of Bjorn Thomson, who found his stride toward the end of the season by ranking up four wins, including one over a nationally ranked competitor, in his final six decided matches.
The Red Raiders will look to continue their emphasis of starting the match on their own terms, as they have recorded 16 doubles points during the spring, losing only three of their matches when they do so.
Visit www.TexasTech.com for the latest news and information on the Texas Tech men's tennis program. Fans are also encouraged to follow the program on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/techmenstennis and @TexasTechMTEN on Twitter and Instagram.
2019 NCAA Palo Alto Regional
Friday, May 3
Match 1: Texas Tech vs. UC Santa Barbara – 1 p.m. CT
Match 2: No. 12 Stanford vs. Fresno State – 4 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 4
Match 3: Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner – 5 p.m. CT
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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