The men's tennis team traveled to Princeton, N.J. yesterday for its match this morning against the number nine ranked University of Miami team in the first round of the NCAA regional tournament.
The Big Green, 8-2 in the Eastern region, received a bid from national committee late Monday evening. But the verdict of the committee was surprising for Dartmouth.
The regional tournament, usually consisting of four teams, had been expanded to six teams in order to satisfy an upset Miami team that was originally not given a bid to the tournament.
Miami had two regional losses to Princeton and Columbia. Therefore, Dartmouth, who had defeated Columbia 4-3 had an indirect win over the Hurricanes and earned the regional nomination for the tournament. On an appeal by higher-ranked Hurricanes, the national committee expanded the field to six.
"I don't understand the philosophy behind the decision," Coach Chuck Kinyon said. "I was really surprised they did it that way, but I think it will all work out."
The committee once again made another confusing decision, seeding the Big Green fifth and Miami fourth, saying it used the teams' national standings to determine the seeds.
But if that were the case, Miami would be seeded second, behind the top seed, Southern Alabama.
As it is, Harvard is seeded second, followed by Princeton third. Columbia rounds out the bracket with the number six seed.
With the current seeds, the Big Green received a tough draw, facing Miami in the first round. The winner of today's match will battle Southern Alabama tomorrow.
"I think every team is going to have to take it one match at a time," number one player Jim Rich '96 said. "Everyone is going to be tired, and every team is going to have to overcome that. It will just be a matter of who wants it more."
Rich will face Yugoslavian Srdjan Muskatirovic, who is ranked number three in the country. Number two player Matt Fuller '97 will also compete against a top 10 nationally ranked player.
"It's going to be a very tough match," Rich said. "We're really going to have to show up playing our best. It's the NCAAs though, and the only way you want to win is playing well."
Miami, with several international players and a large scholarship budget, will be by far the toughest team the Big Green have faced this year.
"We're excited about playing," Rich said. "It is a great opportunity to play a team of that caliber. We're all psyched."
