Three Cavaliers Selected to Compete in NCAA Men's Tennis Championships
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May 6, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia men’s tennis team had three individuals selected to compete in the 2004 NCAA Men’s Tennis Individual Championships when the fields were announced Thursday afternoon. Doug Stewart (Malibu, Calif.) was selected for the 64-player singles field and the team of Nick Meythaler (Owensboro, Ky.) and Rylan Rizza (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) were selected for the 32-team doubles field. Both tournaments will be held May 26-31 at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla.
Stewart is making his second appearance in the NCAA Singles Championship and received a 9-16 seed for this year’s tournament. Last season he was one of just four freshmen selected to compete, but fell in the first round to K.C. Corkery of Stanford. This season, Stewart is currently ranked No. 9 nationally after accumulating a 22-7 singles record, including a 15-6 record in dual matches at the No. 1 position. He posted 17 of those wins over ranked opponents, including 11 over players selected in the singles field.
Rizza and Meythaler are making their first trip to the NCAA Championships. The pair of second-years posted a 18-9 record this season, including a 14-7 record in dual matches at the No. 1 position. Currently they are ranked No. 21 in the nation. They defeated five teams currently ranked nationally, including three selected to compete in the doubles field.
The three players and the rest of the Cavaliers will begin their quest of the NCAA team championship next weekend at the Snyder Tennis Center. The Cavaliers, the tournament’s No. 6 seed, will host American in the first round at 10:00 a.m.* on Friday, May 14. Mississippi State and Wake Forest will play in the other first round match at 2:00 p.m.* The first round winners will meet in the second round at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 15. The winner of the second round match will advance to the round of 16 in Tulsa on May 22.
* Note match times for Friday’s matches have been changed since originally announced Wednesday