March 24, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 25th-ranked Notre Dame men’s tennis team is set to face No. 50 USF this Sunday at noon (ET) and Dayton at 6:00 p.m. Both matches will be played at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
“South Florida has had a number of injuries throughout the season and when they are completely healthy they are a formidable team,” Irish head coach Bobby Bayliss said. “We remember when they defeated us last season and I am sure they will provide a challenge for us again this year.”
IRISH NOTES
– Notre Dame is currently 10-8 on the season – the Irish are 8-8 against ranked opponents – most recently, the Irish defeated the USTA Jr. National Team in an exhibition match, 5-2, and fell to No. 14 Kentucky, 6-1 – Notre Dame is ranked No. 25 in the Campbell/ITA National Team Rankings – Casey Watt is ranked No. 58 – senior Daniel Stahl is on a four-match winning streak and has defeated three-straight ranked opponents – next up for the Irish is a match at Ball State on April 2 at 2:00 p.m. (ET), followed by a home doubleheader on April 3 versus Southern Methodist University and IUPUI beginning at 1:00 p.m.
SCOUTING THE BULLS
USF is currently 10-5 on the season – most recently, the Bulls defeated Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, 4-1, and UCF, 4-3, at the Rice Invitational in Houston, Texas – the team is set to face DePaul in a conference matchup on Thursday ââ’¬¦ it will be USF’s first conference match up this season – the Bulls are ranked No. 50 in the Campbell/ITA National Team Rankings – Lucas Jovita is No. 73 in the singles ranks – Jovita was injured during the 2010 season, but defeated Notre Dame’s Brett Helgeson during the 2008 campaign – Wael Kilani downed Watt and Stephen Havens (Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy) in 2010 at the No. 1 position – following the match against the Irish, the Bulls will play host to a three-match homestand: Virginia Commonwealth (April 1), Louisville (April 3) and North Florida (April 12).
ALL-TIME SERIES vs. USF
Notre Dame vs. USF 5-2
Notre Dame vs. USF under Bayliss 4-2
Bayliss vs. USF 4-2
First Meeting (1982) Notre Dame, 5-2
Most Recent Meeting (2010) Notre Dame, 4-1
SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Dayton is currently 1-10 on the season – the Flyers dropped their last two matches Toledo, 7-0, Temple, 7-0 – Dayton is set to play four matches in three days, beginning with Bradley (Friday), Wittenberg (Saturday), Chicago State (Saturday) and Notre Dame on Sunday.
ALL-TIME SERIES vs. DAYTON
Notre Dame vs. Dayton 0-0
Notre Dame vs. Dayton under Bayliss 0-0
Bayliss vs. Dayton 0-0
Complete results and a recap will be posted to und.com following the matches.
–ND–