Date Posted: 4/29/2008

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The 41st-ranked ETSU men's tennis team is headed to Columbus, Ohio where it will face Notre Dame on Friday, May 9 in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Championship.

The Bucs had a crowd on hand Tuesday afternoon in the Humphreys Center inside the Memorial Center as the selection show aired live on ESPNews.

"We are very confident right now. We have played some tough matches this year and we have been doing everything right," said senior and team captain Lisandro Picardo (Mar del Plata, Argentina) who will be making his third trip to the NCAA Championships. "We have been practicing hard and we are very focused. Notre Dame is a solid team. They've beaten some good teams but if we can win the doubles point I think we have a very good chance."

Head Coach Yaser Zaatini felt positive about the Bucs drawing Notre Dame in the first round. "Anyone is going to be a tough match and we're going to be a tough match for anyone. If they take us for granted we will beat them. Our guys are ready," said Zaatini. "We don't really know a lot about Notre Dame but we know they will be a tough opponent. We will be making several calls to coaches that have faced them to learn a little about their strengths and weaknesses."

Related Links:
 • NCAA Men's Tennis Bracket
 • Full story at ETSUBucs.com