Brianna Campbell/ The Collegian
With a at large bid into the NCAA Tournament men’s tennis has a chance to prove themselves.
After losing in the final match for the WAC Championship title, Tejesvi Veerepalli is ready to battle back for the NCAA Tournament.
After suffering a heartbreaking loss to Hawaii on Saturday in a battle for the WAC title, the Fresno State men’s tennis team will have a second chance to prove themselves as they take on Bringham Young University in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The team, coaches and media gathered for a selection party Tuesday at Victory Grill to anxiously await their seeding. After hearing the results, the crowd roared and applause went around as excitement and determination filled the hearts and minds of the Bulldog clan.
“It’s a really great opportunity to get back our revenge and show the nation who we really are,” senior Tejesvi Veerepalli said.
Veerepalli experienced a tough injury last week when he cramped up during his final set while ahead 4-1 in the championship match, resulting in a heart-rending defeat by Hawaii’s Jeremy Tweedt. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, their star will be back in full force come tournament time.
“I’m feeling really good and I’m ready to be back on the court,” Veerepalli said. “I’ll be more than 100 percent for sure this weekend and the coming weekend.”
Watching Veerepalli in agony was difficult for the crowd to watch as they sat in disbelief, but watching his player suffer without being able to help was even tougher for head coach Jay Udwadia.
“It’s one of those tough things as a coach because you really want to win that championship for the community, but when you have a player injured you just have to hope for the best,” Udwadia said. “It was a tough day, and we fell a little short.”
Udwadia said he and his Bulldogs are excited for the tournament and although they have yet to face BYU this season, he is confident in his team’s ability to perform.
“I know they’re [BYU] a tough team, but I feel pretty good about our chances,” Udwadia said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that when the match is on the line we can push through and it doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”
Fresno State (18-9) will take on BYU (21-6) on Friday, May 14 in Los Angeles on the USC campus.
