Men's Tennis Takes on UMKC Friday

May 9, 2012

No. 10 Oklahoma (18-3, 5-0 Big 12) at the NCAA's
Friday's Match	vs. UMKC
Date & Time	Friday, May 11 at 2 p.m.
Location	Headington Family Tennis Center
Oklahoma Info	2012 Roster \| Staff \| Schedule
Internet	Live Scoring

NORMAN, Okla. - The 10th-ranked Oklahoma men's tennis team squares off against UMKC on Friday, May 11 at 2 p.m., in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Championships at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman.

The Sooners, who won their first Big 12 regular-season and postseason titles, host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Championships for a third consecutive year. The Sooners and Kangaroos have never faced one another. UMKC advanced to the NCAA Championships after defeating IUPUI in the Summit League Championships' finale.

The winner of Friday's contest will advance to the second round and will play the winner of Tulsa vs. Minnesota on Saturday, May 12 at 2 p.m.

The winner of each site advances to the NCAA Division I Tennis Championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga., hosted by the University of Georgia. The team championships will be held May 18-21.

Ticket Info and Schedule of Events

Prices are $5 for adults and $3 for youth (ages 3-18) and students (with valid ID). Fans can purchase online or call the OU Ticket Office at (405) 325-2424 or toll-free (800) 456-GoOU.

Friday, May 11
11 a.m. - Tulsa vs. Minnesota
2 p.m. - Oklahoma vs. UMKC

Saturday, May 12
2 p.m. - Regional Final

RANKINGS RUNDOWN

The Sooners have four ranked in the updated ITA rankings and are led by junior Costin Paval who is the nation's No. 12 ranked tennis player. Guillermo Alcorta (No. 61) and Dane Webb (No. 96) are also ranked among the nation's elite. Despite being ranked all year, Peerakit Siributwong fell from the rankings.

Oklahoma began the year with all three of its tandems ranked and now two duos remain in the rankings. Paval and Webb check in at No. 10, while Siributwong and Mihov are 56th.

UMKC does not have anyone ranked in singles or doubles.

Dual Match Records

Singles	1	2	3	4	5	6	Overall
1. Costin Paval (Jr.)	15-3						15-3
2. Guillermo Alcorta (RSo.)		13-3	3-1				16-4
3. Peerakit Siributwong (So.)			1-1	9-6	3-0		13-7
4. Tsvetan Mihov (So.)	1-0	2-2	4-9	2-1			9-12
5. David Pultr (Sr.)					3-0	7-6	10-6
6. Dane Webb (Fr.)			1-0	2-0	13-1	3-0	19-1
7. Lawrence Formentera (Jr.)						2-2	2-2

Doubles	1	2	3	Overall
1. Costin Paval/Dane Webb	16-3			16-3
2. Tsvetan Mihov/Peerakit Siributwong		15-5		15-5
3. Guillermo Alcorta/David Pultr			2-0	2-0
4. Davild Pultr/Lawrence Formentera			14-4	14-4

SOONER TENNIS NOTES

BIG 12 REGULAR-SEASON & POSTSEASON CHAMPS
In just his third year, OU head coach John Roddick's Sooners earned the programs first Big 12 regular-season and postseason titles after OU ran the gauntlet in conference action. OU's unbeaten Big 12 season is the 13th in league history. It was the Sooners' first Big 12 championship and their first conference title since 1992 when Oklahoma competed in the Big Eight Conference. By winning the regular season crown, Oklahoma broke a streak of 10 consecutive titles that have gone to either Baylor or Texas.

In the Big 12 Championships, OU downed fifth-seeded Texas A&M, 4-1, in the semifinals and rallied to edge Baylor, the No. 3 seed, in the conference finals, 4-3. OU senior David Pultr outlasted Baylor's Julien Bley to gain the match point, going 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, in an epic 4-and-1/2 hour match at No. 6 singles that played to tiebreakers in all three sets.

BIG 12 AWARDS
The Sooners nearly swept the 2012 All-Big 12 men's tennis postseason awards as head coach John Roddick secured the Coach of the Year accolade, while Costin Paval was honored as the Player of the Year and Guillermo Alcorta garnered the Newcomer of the Year award. The three conference accolades were firsts for a Sooner program that earned its first regular season and postseason conference titles in the Big 12 era.

Additionally, Peerakit Siributwong and Dane Webb made the All-Big 12 singles team, while two tandems earned spots on the doubles team. Siributwong and Tsvetan Mihov joined Paval and Webb as unanimous selections to the doubles team.

RODDICK'S PAST NCAA EXPERIENCES
In last year's regional the Sooners dropped a 4-3 contest to Tulsa in the opening round. In his first season (2009-10), Roddick's squad advanced to the Elite Eight after the Sooners upset then-No. 3 Texas, 4-2, in the Sweet 16.

POSITION CHAMPIONS
Paval tied with Baylor's Mate Zsiga for the best record, 4-1, in conference action at the No. 1 position. Guillermo Alcorta earned the crown at the No. 2 spot where he recorded a perfect 5-0 record. Fellow newcomer, Dane Webb, claimed the position title at the No. 5 spot where he posted a 5-0 record. Lawrence Formentera (2-1) finished tied for second at the No. 6 position.

In doubles, OU claimed two champions at the No. 1 and 3 positions. Webb and Paval won the No. 1 spot after the duo posted a 5-0 record, while David Pultr and Formentera (4-1) claimed the No. 3 position title. Peerakit Siributwong and Tsvetan Mihov finished second after the tandem went 3-2 at No. 2 doubles.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS
University of Oklahoma sophomore Peerakit Siributwong was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Men's Tennis First Team, his first appearance. The multidisciplinary studies major from Bangkok, Thailand, was one of 15 members to earn the prestigious first team academic honor.

FRESHMAN PHENOM
OU freshman Dane Webb, one the nation's most highly-touted recruits, finished the regular season with 19-1 record competing in the lineup for the Sooners. He and Paval have secured a 16-3 record at the No. 1 doubles position and are ranked No. 10 nationally. In singles, Webb began the spring season ranked No. 63 and currently sits at No. 96 in the country.

PAVAL EARNS MULTIPLE BIG 12 HONORS
Junior Costin Paval, ranked No. 4 nationally to begin the season, was honored as the Big 12 Player of the Week twice this season. His first accolade came on April 2, after Paval led the Sooners to wins over No. 13 Texas and 25th-ranked Texas A&M, which helped OU jump out to a 2-0 record in Big 12 play. Paval earned his second conference Player of the Week honor on April 24 following a dominating performance over OSU, which clinched the Big 12 title for the Sooners.

En-route to his first conference honor, the Bucharest, Romania, native opened conference action with a decisive 6-2, 6-3 win over Texas' Soren Hess-Olsen, ranked No. 64, on Friday, March 30. Following his efforts in Austin, Paval downed A&M's 29th-ranked Alexis Kelgou, 6-4, 6-0. In doubles, Paval and freshman Dane Webb, ranked No. 13, also collected two wins over nationally ranked tandems beginning with an 8-5 win over UT's 27th-ranked Chris Camillone and David Holiner. On Sunday, April 1, the OU duo edged the Aggies' Ore and Withrow, 9-8.

For his second award, Paval took care of Oklahoma State's 107th-ranked Vlad Bondarenko at the No. 1 position (6-0, 6-0) as the Sooners posted a 6-1 victory over Bedlam rival to win the Big 12 regular season title outright this past week. In that match, Paval and partner Dane Webb also won their doubles match at No. 1, 8-4.

DOUBLE THE POWER
Oklahoma has been extremely effective in doubles action this year as the Sooners have won the doubles point in 18 of their 21 matches. OU won the doubles point in 10 straight matches before giving up the point to Baylor in the Big 12 finals. OU's two other losses came on the road against Ole Miss and Maryland.

BIG 12 COACHES' POLL
The Sooners trailed only Texas, who was pegged the favorites to win the conference after the Longhorn's received four first place votes and 24 points, in the first ever Big 12 Coaches' Poll. Oklahoma tallied two of the six first place votes and finished just three points (21) behind their foes from south of the Red River

PULTR RETURNS TO OKLAHOMA
David Pultr was a member of OU's team that reached the Elite Eight in 2010. The Czech Republic native went 16-9 in singles action, with the majority of his matches coming at the No. 4 position. In doubles, he and Ionut Beleleu concluded the year with a 9-11 record.

MORE GEORGIA TIES
Bo Hodge was named the assistant coach at OU on Nov. 17, 2011. Prior to Oklahoma, Hodge served as the assistant at the University of Alabama for the past three seasons. A former star for the University of Georgia before pursuing a career on the professional circuit, Hodge earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications at UGA where he returned to complete his studies after several years on the professional tour as a player and coach.

LAST TIME OUT
Oklahoma won its first Big 12 postseason title after the Sooners rallied to defeat Baylor, 4-3, in the finals.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors