ACC Championships

Irish Rank 18th In Preseason Poll

TEMPE, Ariz. — The University of Notre Dame’s men’s tennis team is ranked 18th in the nation as announced by the Oracle Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Wednesday, January 9, 2019. The Irish are one of five members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) to be featured among the top-25 in the first set of rankings, including the reigning national champions Wake Forest.

With their season set to begin next Saturday, the 2019 schedule features a potential nine matchups of those currently ranked within the top-25, four of which boast teams in the top-10.

The Irish begin the 2019 campaign at Kentucky (receiving votes) on Saturday, January 19 before a weekend tournament in Norman, Oklahoma where they face Vanderbilt, also receiving votes, with the possibility to play 13th-ranked Oklahoma the next day depending on the results of day one.

Notre Dame opens its season at home on Friday, February 1, against ACC rival Virginia who currently ranks 17th in the nation. They continue the weekend of competition when they host ninth-ranked Texas A&M that Sunday.

Shortly after, the Fighting Illini of Illinois and 16th-ranked team in the preseason poll come to town for a mid-week match on Wednesday, February 6.

The team will travel north to 23rd-ranked Michigan before heading to Columbus, Ohio to face Ohio State, who currently ranks second in the country, to close out their February schedule.

Notre Dame will spend St. Patrick’s Day in Florida as they take on another ACC rival in the top-25, Florida State, 20th overall.

The Irish return home on March 24 to host the reigning champions and ACC foe, Wake Forest, who leads the country in the rankings in the first release. The weekend concludes with a matchup against NC State who is currently receiving votes in the national polls.

Their schedule against top-25 teams, as currently depicted, concludes April 7 with a trip to North Carolina to face the sixth-ranked Tar Heels.

The team, which went 19-14 and 8-4 in conference action in 2018, looks to improve upon last season’s successes and make a run for the ACC title in 2019.  
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