Andrew Landwerlen, a junior from Las Cruces, N.M., helped lead the DU men's tennis team to a berth in the NCAA tournament.
The University of Denver men’s tennis team received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and will play the University of Michigan in first-round regional competition.
“We’re really excited. I think it’s a winnable match,” head coach Danny Westerman said after DU’s selection was announced on ESPN on Monday afternoon. “We’re familiar with them, so we don’t need to be scared of them.”
DU played the Wolverines early in January in Key Biscayne, Fla., during a pre-season round robin tournament that also included the University of Texas and LSU. Against Michigan, the Pioneers won two of six singles matches and one of three doubles.
The Pioneers went on to post a 19-4 season record and a second-place finish in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. DU finished the year ranked No. 36 in the nation. Michigan posted a 13-10 season mark in Big Ten play and earned a No.25 national ranking.
The NCAA regional showdown will be May 14–16 in Columbus, Ohio. If DU prevails, they would play either No. 4-ranked Ohio State (32-1) or Western Michigan (21-10) for a place in the Sweet 16 in Athens, Ga.
“I’m happy about all this,” Westerman says. “We’ve got six guys who can play in any position. They’re really fired up. We had our best practice of the year yesterday. I think we have a great shot.”