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Blue Hose VS Wildcats, and singles/doubles selections

MEN'S TENNIS: Friday’s match will be the first-ever meeting between Presbyterian and Kentucky.

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PC Plays Kentucky  in the NCAA Tournament

The Presbyterian Blue Hose (16-9), who won the Big South Tournament Championship and a share of the Big South regular-season title, are making the program’s third appearance in the Division I NCAA Tournament. The Blue Hose will play at No, 4 Kentucky (24-4) on Friday, May 5 at 1 p.m. The winner of the match will play either Northwestern or UCLA in the second round on Saturday, May 6.

The Blue Hose enter the NCAA Tournament on an eight-match winning streak. The Blue Hose are making their second NCAA Tournament under the guidance of head coach John Collins. 

BIG SOUTH TITLES

Presbyterian captured the third Big South Tournament title in the program’s history a couple of weeks ago.  The Blue Hose claimed Big South Tournament titles in 2017, 2021, and 2023. PC has reached the Big South Championship match six times in the program’s history: 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2023.

This season, Presbyterian claimed a share of the program’s third Big South regular-season title. The Blue Hose won regular-season titles in 2014, 2017, and 2023.

 
BIG SOUTH HONORS
Sophomore Dusan Milanovic was voted Big South Player of the Year by the league’s head coaches. Freshman Denim Yadav claimed the league’s Freshman of the Year award.

Milanovic, Yadav, and senior Max Benson were First Team All-Big South Singles selections. Benson and Milanovic were voted First Team All-Big South Doubles. Juniors Sebastian Dominguez and Javier Matos were named Second Team All-South Singles and they formed a doubles duo that was named Second Team All-Big South Doubles.

Milanovic was named to the Big South All-Academic team as well.

BIG SOUTH WEEKLY AWARD

On April 5, Benson was named Big South Player of the Week and David Mamalat claimed Big South Freshman of the Week honors. This marked the third time this season that Presbyterian has captured the Big South Player and Freshman of the Week awards in the same week. On January 25, Benson was Big South Player of the Week and Mamalat claimed Freshman of the Week honors. On March 8, Matos was Big South Co-Player of the Week and Yadav was the Freshman of the Week.
 
On January 19, Milanovic was selected as the Big South Player of the Week.
 
Yadav (February 22, March 8, March 29, and April 19) has claimed four Big South Freshman of the Week awards. Mamalat (January 25, March 22, and April 5) has garnered Big South Freshman of the Week honors three times. 
 

NATIONAL RANKINGS

The doubles team of Benson and Milanovic is ranked No. 60 in the ITA doubles rankings. Milanovic is ranked No. 62 in the ITA singles rankings.

BLUE HOSE BY THE NUMBERS

This season in singles play, Milanovic, who has won 12 straight matches, has a 19-2 record at number one singles. Matos has won 15 straight matches giving him 18 wins. Benson has tallied 12 wins this spring. Yadav, who has won six straight matches, and Dominguez, who has won five straight matches, have recorded 11 wins. Mamalat enters the NCAA Tournament on a seven-match winning streak giving him seven wins this season.

Presbyterian has captured the doubles point 16 times this season. The doubles tandem Benson and Milanovic lead the team with 13 wins. The doubles duos of Dominguez and Matos have collected 11 wins.

 

KENTUCKY

The Wildcats enter the NCAA Tournament as the number four overall seed. Last season, Kentucky reached the championship match of the NCAA Tournament. This season, Kentucky won the SEC Tournament.

Friday’s match will be the first-ever meeting between Presbyterian and Kentucky.

Milanovic Receives Singles Bid, Benson and Milanovic Earn Doubles Spot in NCAA Championships

 

CLINTON, S.C. – Presbyterian Blue Hose men’s tennis players Dusan Milanovic and Max Benson have earned bids to the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships which runs May 22-27 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. Milanovic earned an automatic bid to the 64-players singles field. While the doubles tandem of Benson and Milanovic earned an automatic bid to the 32-team doubles championship.

This season, the duo played a major role in helping the Blue Hose win the Big South Tournament Championship, a share of the Big South regular-season title, and earn the program’s third bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Milanovic is the first Presbyterian player to earn a bid to the NCAA Division I Singles Championship. The doubles team of Benson and Milanovic is also the first doubles team in school history to earn a spot in the NCAA Division I Doubles Championship.

Presbyterian joins Radford (2009) as the only men’s tennis programs in Big South history to have the team, a singles player, and a doubles team compete in the NCAA Championships in the same season.

DUSAN MILANOVIC
Milanovic was voted Big South Player of the Year by the league’s head coaches. Milanovic was a First Team All-Big South Singles selection and he teamed with Benson to form a First Team All-Big South Doubles team. The Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina native is now a two-time First Team All-Conference Singles and Doubles selection.

Milanovic is currently ranked No. 62 in the ITA Singles rankings. Benson and Milanovic are ranked No. 60 in the ITA Doubles Rankings.

This season in singles play, Milanovic, who has won 12 straight matches, has a 19-2 record at number one singles. The doubles tandem Benson and Milanovic lead the team with 13 wins all at number one doubles.

MAX BENSON
Benson was a First Team All-Big South Singles selection and he teamed with Milanovic to form a First Team All-Big South Doubles team. Benson and Milanovic are ranked No. 60 in the ITA Doubles Rankings. The Albany, New York native is a three-time First Team Doubles and a four-time All-Big South Singles honoree.

Benson has tallied 12 singles wins this spring. The doubles duo of Benson and Milanovic lead the team with 13 wins.

UP NEXT
Presbyterian plays at No. 4 Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament this Friday, May 5 at 1 p.m.