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South Carolina Hosts NCAA Championship Matches This Weekend
Men's Tennis  . 

South Carolina Hosts NCAA Championship Matches This Weekend

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Hosting NCAA Championship matches for the first time since 1994, No. 13 South Carolina will face UNC Wilmington in the first round of the event on Fri., May 7, at 1 p.m. The day’s matches at Carolina Tennis Center will open at 10 a.m. with Florida Gulf Coast taking on No. 24 NC State. The winners of Friday’s matches will play on Sat., May 8, at 1 p.m.
 
Tickets for each day’s matches will be available at the Carolina Tennis Center main entrance for $5 for all fans over the age of two. Students of the four participating schools can show their valid University ID for $3 tickets.
 
The Athletics Department Clear Bag Policy will be in effect for the weekend’s matches.
 
Gamecock Notables

  • South Carolina is 15-9 this season, including a 6-3 mark at home. Eight of the team’s 15 wins have been against ranked opponents, including four against top-20 foes.
  • Four Gamecocks are ranked in singles – No. 2 Daniel Rodrigues, No. 22 Connor Thomson, No. 54 Raphael Lambling and No. 68 Toby Samuel.
  • South Carolina is 11-3 when winning the doubles point this season.
  • The Gamecocks have posted a 17-4 record in the No. 1 singles position and a 13-7 mark in the No. 1 doubles spot.
  • Phillip Jordan and Thomson are tied for the team lead in match-clinching wins with five each.

 
South Carolina NCAA Tournament Notables

  • This is the seventh time the Gamecocks were selected to the NCAA Championships under head coach Josh Goffi, including each of the last four tournaments held. a
  • The Gamecocks are 4-2 in NCAA Championship first-round matches under Goffi.
  • South Carolina is 16-24 all-time in the NCAA Championships with its best team finish coming in 1989 in the semifinals.

 
About UNC Wilmington

  • UNC Wilmington is 15-5, including a 5-0 record in neutral site play.
  • The Seahawks most recently won their seventh Colonial Athletic Association title with a 4-3 win over William & Mary.
  • UNC Wilmington is 0-2 against ranked teams this season.
  • South Carolina is 3-1 all time against UNC Wilmington, including a 2-1 record under head coach Josh Goffi.
  • The Gamecocks last faced UNCW in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Championship with the Seahawks posting a 4-0 victory in Durham N.C. to avenge a 4-3 loss to South Carolina earlier that season.

 
About Florida Gulf Coast

  • FGCU was a late addition to the NCAA Tournament after Liberty had to withdraw due to COVID-19 contact tracing.
  • The Eagles are 8-6 on the season and were the runners-up to Liberty in the Atlantic Sun Championship.
  • FGCU is 0-2 against ranked opponents this season.
  • The Gamecocks and Eagles have never played each other in men’s tennis.

 
 About NC State

  • The Wolfpack is 11-8 on the season with a 7-3 ACC record that placed it fourth in the league standings.
  • NC State has two entries in the Oracle/ITA singles rankings – No. 25 Alexis Galarneau and No. 95 Rafa Izquierdo Luque. Three doubles teams are ranked – No. 30 Tadas Babelis/Yannai Barkai, No. 42 Babalis/Robin Catry and No. 55 Galarneau/Robert Turzak.
  • The Gamecocks are 36-22 all-time against NC State, including a 4-0 win earlier this season at Carolina Tennis Center. The two teams split the previous four matches against each other and have never met in the NCAA Championships.

 
 
For men’s tennis updates, continue to check back with GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team on social media (@GamecockMTennis).

 

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