KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (May 2, 2024) – Fresh off SoCon Regular Season and Tournament Championships, the ETSU men's tennis team will open play in the NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Tournament on Friday when it takes on No. 7 Tennessee in Knoxville. First serve between the Buccaneers and Volunteers is set for 1 p.m.  
 
ETSU is playing its best tennis of the season entering Friday's clash with the Volunteers. The Bucs closed the 2024 campaign on a nine-match winning streak. ETSU, which is 13-9 on the season, will be making its sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. 
 
Five different Buccaneers picked up all All-SoCon honors last month. Dimitri Badra became the first player in SoCon history to be named the SoCon Player of the Year for four times. Head Coach Ricky Rojas was named the SoCon's Coach of the Year, while Milledge Cossu and Francisco Lamas (All-SoCon Second Team Doubles) and Alberto Garcia (All-SoCon Freshman Team) also received recognition for their play this season by the league. 
 
Tennessee enters Friday's matchup with the Bucs sporting a 22-6 overall record. It is the fourth straight year that the Volunteers have been a national seed in the NCAA Tournament. It'll be the first clash between the Bucs and Volunteers since 2022. Tennessee and ETSU have clashed in the NCAA Tournament three times previously with the last occurring in 2010 in the round of 32. All three of the previous postseason contests went in favor of Tennessee. 
 
ETSU has won two NCAA Tournament matches in its history. The Bucs knocked off Notre Dame in 2008 and Alabama in 2010. Should the Bucs advance past the Volunteers, the Bucs will face the winner of No. 27 North Carolina or No. 31 Memphis at 4 p.m. on Saturday. 
 
For more information on Buccaneer men's tennis, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's tennis tab.