Tuesday, April 29, 2008

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 29, 2008) - The 41st-ranked ETSU men's tennis team is headed to Columbus, Ohio where it will face Notre Dame on Saturday, May 10 in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Championship. The match is set to start at 2 p.m.

The Bucs had a crowd on hand Tuesday afternoon in the Humphreys Center inside the Memorial Center as the selection show aired live on ESPNews.

"We are very confident right now. We have played some tough matches this year and we have been doing everything right," said senior and team captain Lisandro Picardo (Mar del Plata, Argentina) who will be making his third trip to the NCAA Championships. "We have been practicing hard and we are very focused. Notre Dame is a solid team. They've beaten some good teams but if we can win the doubles point I think we have a very good chance."

Head Coach Yaser Zaatini felt positive about the Bucs drawing Notre Dame in the first round. "Anyone is going to be a tough match and we're going to be a tough match for anyone. If they take us for granted we will beat them. Our guys are ready," said Zaatini. "We don't really know a lot about Notre Dame but we know they will be a tough opponent. We will be making several calls to coaches that have faced them to learn a little about their strengths and weaknesses."

The Bucs (23-3) earned an automatic bid to the tournament by winning its second consecutive Atlantic-Sun Conference Tournament Championship on April 20, while the Fighting Irish (16-10), who are currently ranked No. 26 in the ITA poll, won their second consecutive Big East title defeating South Florida, 4-3.

This will be ETSU's sixth appearance in the NCAA tournament and fourth appearance in five years. For more information about the men's tennis team and the NCAA tournament, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.