Men's Tennis Travels Towards Championship Titles

All of the University at Buffalo's sports teams have been extremely successful this year. Men's Basketball won the MAC East this past weekend in front of a sell-out crowd. However, many of our teams are earning quieter victories with hopes of "making some noise in the NCAA tournament" in a short time. UB's Men's Tennis team may have a smaller roster of just ten men, but each one is chock full of talent and fired up to win. They have played 3 ranked opponents in Dartmouth, UFC, and Princeton, giving each a true test.The men reported that the match against Princeton has proved the most excited. In the NCAA, the top 75 teams are ranked, and Princeton was sitting in the 23rd spot. In a match that went back and forth, in and out of UB's favor, they found themselves down 3-1. They had to win all 3 of the remaining matches to win overall. They won the first two, and it came down to the very last match. Although they were edged out and lost 4-3, their spectacular level of play against one of the nation's top teams makes them believe that they truly have a shot at winning the MAC Tournament and advancing well into the NCAA Tournament. From the beginning of this season, UB's Men have been the MAC favorite, and as the season winds down this holds true. 

Tennis is a sport that is not often fully understood by those who have not often been exposed to it. For example, we may see professional tennis on TV and believe that college matches also demand spectators to be quiet. Apparently, though, "the louder the better" at our Men's Tennis matches. These extremely competitive men are sure to get you on your feet at matches, too. Although their facility is not on campus, it is worth the short drive to watch them compete in both singles and doubles. We've had members of the team as MAC Singles Player of the Week several times, and they are, again, front-runners in the MAC Tournament. With all of this success, they still manage a stellar GPA, although they admit that time management is one of the hardest aspects of their lives as student-athletes. For most matches, they have to drive about 6-9 hours one way, totaling weekend travel times of about 12-18 hours. Also, they have to commute daily to reach their tennis practice facilities, which eats up a large portion of their day. Regardless, these men love what they do and you can see their passion in their play. They excel as a sports program, and encourage everyone and anyone to come support them on their road to becoming  MAC Champions as they compete at home for their final time this season on April 17th and April 19th. Make the drive (as they so frequently do); they'll make it worth your while!

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