May 5, 2005
Georgia Tech sophomore Jose Muguruza received a bid to the NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Championships, while the doubles team of freshman David North and junior Marko Rajevac were selected as alternates into the NCAA Doubles Championships, the NCAA announced Thursday afternoon.
The NCAA Individual Championships will be contested at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center on the campus of Texas A&M beginning May 25-30. The first round of the single elimination tournament will begin Wednesday, May 25 in College Station, Texas, which is also the site of this year’s NCAA Team Championships. Muguruza’s opponent and the entire singles bracket will be announced on May 24.
Ranked 22nd nationally, Muguruza is among the 64 players selected to challenge for this year’s NCAA singles title. He currently owns a team best 27-12 record this season, including a 12-6 record at No. 1 singles in dual matches. An all-ACC selection earlier this season, Muguruza has been ranked as high as No. 18 in the ITA singles rankings this season and has eight wins over ranked opponents. This marks the third time in the last four years that the Yellow Jackets have had a participant in the NCAA Singles Championship.
The team portion of the NCAA Championships get underway May 13-15 with first and second round competition held at 16 various campus sites around the country. The No. 28 Yellow Jackets are slated to face No. 38 Vanderbilt on Saturday, May 14 at 1 p.m. and if they should advance would face the winner of the No. 3 Florida Gators and UCF on May 15. The second round winners advance to Texas A&M to compete in the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and national championship beginning May 21.
