NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After earning an at-large bid, the Yale men's tennis team will make its first NCAA appearance since 1977. The Bulldogs open national competition against No. 14 Illinois on Friday, May 1, at 7 p.m. ET.
Yale at No. 14 Illinois
Friday, May 1 – 7 p.m. ET
Urbana-Champaign, Ill.
Watch | Live Stats
"I am really proud of the way this team has fought through a demanding season, and has proven that we can compete with the best in the country, said
Eduardo Ugalde, Interim Head Coach of Men's Tennis. "We are now heading to Champaign to face a program with an incredible history, and playing them on their home court will be a big challenge. However, we have a talented team with a great pair of seniors, Eric and Vignesh, leading our charge. We're ready to take the courts and represent Yale with everything we have."
Bulldog Notes
- The NCAA appearance marks Yale's second trip, and its first in decades.
- The program's last NCAA tournament team recorded 16 victories, the same as this year's squad.
- Yale's 16 wins this season are the most since the 2016-17 campaign.
- The Bulldogs are currently ranked No. 44 in the ITA national rankings.
- Yale's notable victories this spring included wins over Arkansas (SEC), Oklahoma State (Big 12), and Middle Tennessee State (Conference USA).
- The Bulldogs look to snap a three-match losing streak after last beating Dartmouth, 4-1, on Friday, Apr. 10.
- Yale is led by Vignesh Gogineni, who boasts a 20-3 overall record this spring while competing at the No. 1 position. Gogineni's most notable victory came against No. 6 Michael Zheng of Columbia in straight sets: 7-6 (3), 6-3.
- Gogineni is currently ranked No. 32 nationally in singles and also made his second consecutive NCAA Individual appearance in the fall.
- Gogineni and doubles partner Edward Liao posted a 15-5 record this spring at the No. 1 position.
- Liao, who's competed No. 2 in singles, tallied a 16-7 record this spring.
Scouting Illinois
- The Fighting Illini earned an at-large berth and this marks the program's 19th appearance in the competition under head coach Brad Dancer.
- The Illini hold a 53-27 record in the NCAA tournament.
- Illinois enters the tournament with a 22-7 record, including a 10-3 mark in conference duals during the regular season. The Illini were tabbed the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, and fell in the semifinals, 4-3, to No. 2 seed Ohio State.
- The Illini are led by Kenta Miyoshi, who was named a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection for the second straight year, posting a 6-1 singles mark in conference play, bringing his career singles record to 22-4 across his four years. Additionally, Miyoshi amassed a 13-7 record overall during dual play.
Up Next
The winner of this match will face the winner of the Notre Dame –Vanderbilt match on Saturday, May 2 at 5 p.m. ET.
