GRANVILLE, Ohio (May 9, 2022) – The Denison University men's tennis team will continue its season this week after earning the North Coast Athletic Conference's automatic bid into the 2022 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Tournament. The Big Red will travel to Washington University in St. Louis for the second time this season, where they will compete in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the winner of Sewanee and Grinnell.
The Big Red will enter this year's NCAA Tournament as the 10th-ranked team in NCAA Division III, and the third-ranked team in the Central Region. The Big Red are 22-3 overall, which ties the program record for wins in a single season set in 1997. This will be Denison's 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its second in a row after falling to Gustavus Adolphus College 5-4 in the second round last season.
Denison is led this year by the fourth-ranked player in the Central Region, senior
Tim Cianciola, who is 23-4, including a 19-3 record at the top-flight during dual matches this season. Cianciola recently became the Big Red's first back-to-back NCAC Player of the Year since 2000-2001, and is currently tied for Denison's all-time record for singles wins in a career with 63.
The 23rd-ranked player in the Central Region is Cianciola's doubles partner,
Jack Bulger. Bulger is 16-5 in dual matches this season, including records of 9-4 at No. 2 singles and 5-1 at No. 3 singles.
Marc-Lennart Harms, meanwhile, is 20-4 in dual matches, including records of 10-1 at No. 2 singles and 9-3 at No. 3 singles. With 24 wins overall, Harms is Denison's new record holder for singles wins in one season, but Cianciola is right behind him with 23 singles wins this year.
In all, Denison has eight players on its roster with at least 10 singles wins on the year as the others include
Andy Mackler (15-6),
Ryan Patrick (15-5),
Daniel Garcia (11-5),
Blake Eason (10-5) and
Milan Gonela (10-2).
Bulger and Cianciola were crowned as the NCAC Men's Tennis Doubles Team of the Year for the second consecutive season after posting a perfect 21-0 overall mark at the No. 1 flight. The duo is currently ranked first in the Central Region, and they are Denison's first ever back-to-back Doubles Team of the Year. With an overall doubles record of 26-2 on the season, Cianciola is Denison's new record holder for doubles wins in a single season.
Sewanee (13-11) is ranked No. 33 in NCAA Division III, has won 11 matches in a row, went a perfect 7-0 in conference matches during the regular season, and won the program's eighth Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Men's Tennis Tournament Championship. Sewanee makes its return to the NCAA Tournament as the Tigers earned their 18th appearance to the championship and first since 2019.
Denison swept Sewanee 9-0 on February 26 of this season, and is now 1-2 all-time against the Tigers. In the only previous NCAA Tournament matchup between the two teams, Sewanee defeated Denison 5-1 in the NCAA quarterfinals back in 2007.
Grinnell (14-11) is ranked 14th in the Central Region, went 6-0 in conference matches during the regular season, and claimed its 18th consecutive Midwest Conference Tournament crown. Grinell will be making its 15th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
The winner of Denison and Sewanee/Grinnell will advance to the third round, where they will play the winner of WashU (14-9) and either Luther (17-9) Rose-Hulman (11-9).
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