Huskers Earn First NCAA Tournament Bid in School History

Lincoln, Neb.---For the first time in school history, the No. 41 Nebraska men's tennis team will play in the NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships. The Huskers were one of 33 teams to earn an at-large bid on Tuesday, May 4, after going 13-12 this year with a 1-5 record in Big 12 play. NU will take on the No. 19 North Carolina Tar Heels in the first round on Friday, May 14, at 9 a.m. in Durham, N.C. After 29 seasons at the helm of the Nebraska men's tennis team, head coach Kerry McDermott expressed what making the NCAA tournament for the first time means for the program.

"I've been here 30 years and to finally make the NCAA tournament is huge for the program," McDermott said. "Especially for Francois (Van Impe) and David (Bendheim), our seniors, they've been pushing so hard for this team to make the NCAA's in their four years, and finally they made it their last years, so I couldn't be happier for those guys. From the first workouts in late August it was always our goal and it was always on the back of our minds. All of sudden to finally be able to make it, it's just the greatest feeling in the world."

The Huskers will travel to Durham, N.C., where they will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in first round action on Friday, May 14, at 9 a.m. The other side of the Huskers bracket consists of Duke, the No. 16 seed and regional host, facing off against Colonial Athletic Association member VCU. McDermott was excited with the draw his team was given.

"We're going to a place where we've never played before," McDermott said. "We don't know a whole lot about them, and they probably don't know a whole lot about us. Hopefully, we can show them some surprises. If we can get past the first round then who knows what can happen."

The Huskers made the tournament after trekking through one of the most challenging schedules in school history. NU played 16 nationally ranked teams, while nine of those teams were ranked in the top 25. The Huskers recorded wins over No. 35 Arizona, No. 23 BYU, No. 65 Oregon, No. 56 Radford, and No. 49 Oklahoma State. The victory over the Cowboys marked the first Big 12 victory for NU since 2007. Earlier this season, the Huskers climbed to No. 25 in the ITA rankings, which was a school record.

The Tar Heels are making their 11th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and 18th overall. North Carolina currently owns a 17-6 record, and finished with a 7-4 record in ACC play. Duke is making its 19th straight appearance in the tournament and will enter the weekend with an 18-8 overall record. The Blue Devils will face off against No. 72 VCU at Noon. VCU enters the NCAA tournament after winning their 12th Colonial Athletic Association title in 15 seasons. The Rams are 14-11 this year.

The winners of Friday's matches will meet on Saturday, May 15, at Noon to determine who will advance to the field of 16, which will take place in Athens, Ga., beginning on May 21. Check back to Huskers.com for more coverage on the Huskers' berth in the NCAA tournament.

First Round- Friday, May 14
No. 41 Nebraska vs. No. 19 North Carolina- 9 a.m.
No. 16 Duke vs. No. 72 VCU- Noon

Second Round-Saturday, May 15
Nebraska/North Carolina winner vs.Duke/VCU winner- Noon