Friday, May 25, 2007
|
The 2007 Mercy College men's tennis team advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 for the first time in program history. |
Mercy College Men's Tennis Finishes the Year Ranked No. 31 In the Nation, No. 2 in the Region
DOBBS FERRY, NY - The Mercy College men's tennis team comes in at No. 31 in the final FILA/ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) National Rankings, announced on Thursday, May 24. Mercy jumped five spots from the previous poll (April 27), and also moved up one spot in the East Region rankings to No. 2.
"To be nationally ranked was one of our goals," said Head Coach Barbaros Ozdogan. "We are happy to accomplish that goal and ready to move forward."
Mercy finished the year with an 11-4 overall record and a 4-1 mark in East Coast Conference (ECC) play to place second in the regular season standings. Along the way, the squad posted winning streaks of five and four straight, including a 5-3 victory over Limestone, ranked No. 38 in the nation at the time, at the North South Duals hosted by Barton College in March.
In the semifinals of the ECC Tournament, Mercy topped Dowling by a score of 5-3, before falling to No. 16 Concordia in the championship match, 5-0. Mercy then received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.
Ozdogan's squad made the most of that opportunity, first posting a 5-1 triumph over ECC foe Queens in opening round play. Mercy then knocked off No. 31 and host Kutztown by a score of 5-3 in a thrilling second round match. The victory gave Mercy its first trip ever to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 in Altamonte Springs, FL.
"Winning the regional championship was a dream come true," said Ozdogan. "The win over Kutztown was not an easy match. Every single member of the team put out a huge effort to accomplish that goal. It was done purely by dedication and self-confidence."
In the tennis version of the "Sweet 16," Mercy faced national power Armstrong Atlantic State University, ranked No. 3 in the country at the time, but the season eventually came to a close with a 5-1 setback. The season however, was one to remember for Ozdogan and now he looks to next year.
"The round of 16 was a great experience as well," said Ozdogan. "It was great to represent Mercy College at the national level. We were proud to be there and knew we deserved to be there. I have a lot of respect for all of my players. We played the entire season with six players and this meant a lot of hard work from everyone. We would like to have a deeper team next year with goals of finishing in the top 20 in the nation and winning the conference championship."
About Mercy College Athletics
Mercy College is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institution and a member of the East Coast Conference (ECC). The College sponsors 15 men's and women's sports. To learn more about Mercy's Department of Athletics and Recreation, call (914) 674-7220 or visit http://www.mercyathletics.com/.
