University of Illinois
Drake
Illinois Opens NCAA Tournament with Drake
May 11, 2017 | Men's Tennis
The Illini will take on the Bulldogs in the NCAA First Round in Stillwater, Okla. on Friday morning.
| Illinois - NCAA First Round | |
|---|---|
| Date | Friday, 10:00 a.m. CT vs. Drake |
| Location | Greenwood Tennis Center | Stillwater, Okla. |
| Live Links | Live Scoring | Live Video |
| 2017 Information | Match Notes | NCAA Tournament Bracket | Stillwater Regional Central |
First Serve: Illinois Opens NCAA Tournament Play with Drake
The No. 25 Illinois Fighting Illini men's tennis team will take on the Drake Bulldogs in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament on Friday at 10 a.m. CT. The match will take place at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Okla. Hosted by Oklahoma State University, Illinois, Drake, Oklahoma State and UMKC will compete for a trip to the NCAA Championships site in Athens, Ga.
Quick Glance at the NCAA First and Second Rounds in Stillwater, Okla.
• Oklahoma State enters the NCAA Tournament with a 21-6 overall record and 3-2 record in Big 12 conference play. The Cowboys claim the No. 7-ranked doubles team of Cash and Kadhe as well as the No. 26-ranked singles player, Julian Cash.
• Illinois's first round opponent, Drake, enters the tournament with a 17-11 overall record. The Missouri Valley Conference Champions swept SIU to claim the 2017 title. Illinois is 2-0 against Drake with both of those wins coming in the NCAA Tournament. The two teams last met on May 9, 2015 in the NCAA Second Round. Illinois topped Drake, 4-2 at the Atkins Tennis Center, where juniors Aron Hiltzik and Aleks Vukic competed in the Illinois lineup, as well as, volunteer assistant coach, Ross Guignon.
• The 2017 WAC Champions, UMKC, compiled an overall record of 14-8 with a 3-2 WAC mark.
Illinois at the NCAA Championships
• 2017 marks the 22nd appearance for the Fighting Illini in the NCAA Championships. The Illini boast a record of 44-20 in NCAA tournament play, highlighted by a 2003 NCAA National Championship.
• In 2016, the Orange and Blue went 1-1 in NCAA play, defeating the Western Michigan Broncos, but falling to the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the NCAA Second Round.
• Illinois has won one NCAA Team Championship in 2003 after defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores, 4-3 in Athens, Ga. The 2003 team completed the highly-coveted NCAA 'Triple Crown' by winning the team championship as well as the singles and doubles individual championships.
Hiltzik, Vukic Selected for NCAA Individual Singles Championships
Aron Hiltzik and Aleks Vukic will represent the Orange and Blue at the 2017 NCAA Men's Tennis Individual Championships that commence on May 24 in Athens, Ga. Illinois has won four NCAA Individual titles in program. The lone singles championship came in 2003, when Amer Delic defeated Baylor's Benedikt Dorsch, 6-4, 6-3 to claim the title in Athens, Ga.
Vukic Earns B1G Athlete of Year, Hiltzik Adds All-Big Ten Conference Honors
Vukic was named the Big Ten Athlete of Year on April 27 to add to his already impressive resume this season. Vukic is the first Illini player to earn the honor since Farris Gosea won the award in 2014. Along with the Player of the Year award, Vukic and Hiltzik were named to the First-Team All-Big Ten list. The duo were unanimous selections for the First Team, which is voted on by the league coaches.
Vukic Collects Fifth Big Ten Weekly Award
Vukic was named the B1G Tennis Player of the Week for the fifth time this season on April 25. The Sydney, Australia native earned the award after completing a perfect 4-0 weekend, where Vukic defeated two ITA-ranked opponents on Sunday. In doubles, Vukic and freshman Vuk Budic topped the No. 13-ranked OSU duo of Pollanen and Torpegaard. The junior then went on to defeat the No. 1-ranked Mikael Torpegaard, 6-1, 6-3 to extend his singles winning streak to 18 matches.
Follow the Illini:
FightingIllini.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
