CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — Men's Tennis will face the University of Virginia Cavaliers tomorrow in Rider's first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
The Broncs enter this matchup in the midst of the best season in program history. The team earned its highest-ever finish in the regular season standings, placing second with a 6-2 record, and captured its most number of postseason All-MAAC selections with five. Cole Thurgur earned the program's first ever major award, as he was named MAAC Player of the Year, and earned Most Outstanding Performer honors at the MAAC Championships.
"To do it with all of these guys, to do it with these coaches, it was a dream come true," Thurgur said after the NCAA selection show on Monday. "I wouldn't have wanted to do it with any other group of guys."
At the MAAC Championships, the Broncs rebounded after dropping the doubles point in their semifinal match against Quinnipiac to earn a hard-fought 4-2 victory, with Matteus Froberg Dahlin – who was named All-MAAC First Team in singles and doubles last week – clinching the match with a three-set victory.
"Pure joy to be able to do it with all of these guys," Froberg Dahlin said. "We're a fantastic group, [with] a brotherhood like no other."
The Broncs went on to play Marist in the championship, taking down the Red Foxes 4-1. Senior Nathan Slattery clinched the match for the Broncs, who joined Thurgur in capping off an undefeated season in singles in conference play.
"That was something I don't think I'll ever forget," Slattery said. "This season personally, I couldn't have asked for much more, especially going into my last season at Rider."
By defeating Marist, Men's Tennis earned its first MAAC Championship in program history.
"We set this goal for ourselves a couple of years ago," Head Coach Timothy Koch said. "We were in the championship last year, we got a taste of it, so we knew it was possible."
Virginia comes into this match as runners-up to Wake Forest in the ACC. The Cavaliers' Dylan Dietrich is ranked as the No. 1 singles player in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), with two other players being ranked in the top 100 nationally as well. Virginia has made the NCAA Championships for the 22nd consecutive season, and are hosting a regional round for the 21st time in program history. Friday's match will be streamed on the official Virginia Athletics website.
"The odds will be stacked against us," Koch said. "We're going to be showing up with the energy we bring every single day with that underdog mentality, and see what happens."
