By: Sarah Houseknecht
Field narrowed from 64 to 16 on day one at Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex
Opening Day:
Opening day of the 2014 USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship at Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex on April 10 narrowed the field greatly, knocking 64 hopefuls down to 16 remaining contenders for the ultimate prize in the Gold Division. Each team played three matches following World TeamTennis format; 16 teams advanced through pool play, keeping their eyes on the prize. All other teams advanced into the Silver, Bronze and Copper Brackets. Gold bracket teams include:
• University of Florida – Advanced over: North Dakota State University (30-6), University of Missouri (30-16), and Texas Tech University (26-13)
• Dartmouth College – Advanced over: University of Michigan (23-21), Stanford University (25-21), and Louisiana State University (24-20)
• University of Texas at Austin – Advanced over: Saginaw Valley State University (30-6), North Carolina State University (28-13), and University of Oregon (21-25)
• University of Virginia – Advanced over: Cornell University (27-16), Georgia Tech (30-22), and University of Central Florida (30-18)
• University of South Carolina – Advanced over: Northwestern University (20-19), University of Delaware (30-15), and Northeastern University (26-17)
• University of Georgia – Advanced over: Baylor University (30-12), Gonzaga University (28-20), and University of Minnesota (26-10)
• University of California – Irvine – Advanced over: Harvard University (25-21), University of North Texas (30-11), and Villanova University (30-12)
• University of California – San Diego – Advanced over: University of Texas – San Antonio (28-14), Stony Brook University (30-7), and Boston College (23-22)
• Texas A & M University – Advanced over: University of Oklahoma (29-19), Cal State University – Chico (27-12), and Pennsylvania University (27-17)
• Auburn University – Advanced over: Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo (27-18), University of Illinois (22-20), and University of Colorado (29-20)
• University of Arizona – Advanced over: Elon University (21-24), Yale University (29-12), and Marquette University (27-21)
• Virginia Tech – Advanced over: Washington University (30-12), Duke University (22-21), and University of California – Santa Barbara (25-19)
• Purdue University – Advanced over: University of South Florida (25-16), University of Iowa (30-12), and James Madison University (30-7)
• University of Southern California – Advanced over: University of Wisconsin (27-11), Brigham Young University (29-9), and Western Washington University (30-8)
• Arizona State University – Advanced over: University of North Carolina (23-22), Ferris State University (29-13), and Rutgers University (30-8)
• University of California – Berkeley – Advanced over: University of Pennsylvania (30-15), Southern Methodist University (29-17), and College of William & Mary (30-9)
Newcomers:
This season, there are four Tennis On Campus National Championship first-timers: Saginaw Valley State University, Gonzaga University, Yale University and Cal State University – Chico. All of the clubs’ earned their schools’ first-ever bids to the national tournament based on their performance at USTA sectionals.
Spirit of Giving:
Joining a club tennis team is about more than just a game to many of the 35,000 student-athletes participating across the nation. Though many of the 64 colleges and universities represented at Nationals participate in community service activities, four clubs are leading the way in giving back: Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), University of North Texas (UNT), Northeastern University and the 2014 USTA TOC National Club of the Year Ferris State University (FSU).
Lead By Example:
Cooper Anderson is the lead-by-example president of the TOC Nationals’ regular Western Washington University club tennis team. He will be honored April 12, 2014 by the USTA for his significant contributions to the USTA’s Tennis On Campus program, benefitting the well-being of his fellow students and campus community. Anderson will be presented his award on Saturday, April 12.
Ferris State University will also be honored as the 2014 National Tennis On Campus Club of the Year. The honor provided the Bulldogs’ with an automatic bid to the 2014 USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship.
Familiarize With The Field:
The 2014 Tennis On Campus National Championship is live and ongoing in Surprise, Ariz. USTA.com covers the 64 teams that have qualified and faced tough challenges on the road to Nationals. Here’s a look at some of the standout squads: Meet the Teams.
For a complete listing of gold, silver, bronze and copper brackets and tournament results click here.