Feb. 24, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 26th-ranked Irish men’s tennis team travels to the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic to face No. 69 Penn State Friday at 5:30 p.m. (ET) at the Lagoon Park Tennis Center in Montgomery, Ala. Notre Dame has been competing in the prestigious Blue Gray for over two decades now, having made its tournament debut in 1990.
The draw for the 2011 Blue Gray is different than years past in that instead of featuring 16 men’s teams, it will showcase eight women’s teams-including No. 16 Notre Dame – and eight men’s teams. Among the men’s field, half of the teams are ranked in the top 26, while seven of the eight teams are among the top-50. The men’s draw consists of Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Boise State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pepperdine and Texas Tech.
This year’s tournament is particularly special for Notre Dame as head coach Bobby Bayliss is set to be inducted as the 44th member of the Blue Gray Hall of Fame. He joins former Notre Dame standout David DiLucia as a recipient of the honor and is only the second head coach to receive the distinction. The induction ceremony will be held during Thursday’s kick-off banquet.
The Blue Gray Tennis Classic has been a Montgomery, Ala., staple for over 60 years, making it the nation’s second-oldest collegiate tennis event behind the NCAA tournament. The event is special in that it incorporates “southern hospitality” as tennis fans from Montgomery open up their homes to the teams to serve as host families during the duration of the tournament.
Following Friday’s match, Notre Dame will play No. 32 Alabama or No. 21 Pepperdine on Saturday.
IRISH NOTES:
The Irish are currently 7-4 on the season, recently dropping a 4-3 match to (then) No. 27 Michigan, before defeating (then) No. 24 North Carolina, 5-2. The Irish fell three spots to No. 26 in the ITA/Campbell’s National rankings. The Irish have won 10 of the 11 doubles points this season.
SCOUTING PENN STATE:
Penn State currently carries a 6-3 record, recently dropping a 4-3 decision to No. 30 Virginia Tech. Penn State is led by three Australian natives: junior Jason Lee, senior Eddie Bourchier and freshman Chris Young. Lee has a 6-2 dual record and has split time between second and third singles, while Bourchier is 4-4 at the No. 1 spot and Young is 3-4, playing anywhere from third singles to sixth singles. The Nittany Lions are ranked No. 69 in the ITA/Campbell’s National rankings.
ALL-TIME SERIES vs. PENN STATE:
Notre Dame vs. Penn State ND, 2-1-1
Notre Dame vs. Penn State under Bayliss 2-1
Bayliss vs. Penn State 11-9
First Meeting (1925) Tie, 3-3
Most Recent Meeting (2008) ND, 4-2
Complete results and a recap will be posted to und.com following the matches.
–ND–