Wolverines Face Challenging Slate in 2008-09
8/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. C University of Michigan head men's tennis coach Bruce Berque announcedThursday (Aug. 21) the schedule for the 2008-09 season.The Wolverines will face 15 opponents that finished last season ranked in the finalITA rankings, including four opponents that finished in the top 20. Last season, the Wolverines reached the NCAA Sweet 16 and finished the season with a No. 16 national ranking --their highest final ranking since 1988.
"The highly competitive schedule that we have built for the coming season is a reflection of the great expectations we have for our players," said Berque. "We will face more quality non-conference opponents than ever and the Big Ten promises to be one of the elite mens tennis conferences in the country. While we have a lot of work to do in preparation for the season, we are excited by the tremendous opportunity we have to take our program to the next level."
Michigan will open the fall season next month when it hosts the Wolverine Invitational Sept. 19-21. The Wolverines begin the spring campaign with the Key Biscayne Invitational, Jan. 9-11, in Key Biscayne, Fla., before opening dual-match action against Western Michigan and Ball State at the Varsity Tennis Center onJan. 24.
U-M will then head to Chapel Hill, N.C., for theITA Kick-Off WeekendJan. 31-Feb. 1. The Wolverines will take on California to open theevent and will face either host North Carolina or Virginia Commonwealththe following day. If U-M should advance, it will head to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in Chicago, Ill., Feb. 13-16.
The Wolverines also head to the West Coast for a rematch with Pepperdine on Feb. 25. Last season, Michigan upset the then-No. 16 ranked Waves, 4-3, in Ann Arbor. Pepperdine, an NCAA Sweet 16 participant last year, concluded the 2008 season with a No. 12 ranking. While in Malibu, Calif., Michigan will also take on Washington on Feb. 27 in the first meeting between the schools. The Huskies made their 14th consecutive trip to the NCAAChampionship last season.
Michigan will open the Big Ten Conference slate with four consecutive road matches. The Wolverines take on Minnesota on March 21, Iowa on March 22, Wisconsin on March 28 and Northwestern on March 29, before hosting Penn State and Ohio State April 4-5. The Maize and Blue will hit the road for a midweek match with instate rival Michigan State on April 8 before heading to West Lafayette, Ind., to take on Purdue on April 12. U-M will conclude the regular season with home matches against Illinois and Indiana (April 18-19), both teams that concluded last season ranked. Illinois was ranked No. 15 and Indiana finished at No. 42.
The Wolverinesbegin postseason actionby hosting the2009 Big TenTournament at the Varsity Tennis Center from April 23-26. The four-day event will determine the Big Ten's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Following the conference tournament, the Wolverines will be looking for their fourth consecutive NCAA bid. Regional action will take place May 5-8 on campus sites with the NCAA Team Championship being held May 14-18 in College Station, Texas.
Contact: Jessica Poole (734) 763-4423
