The Gophers men’s tennis team found out Tuesday that inconsistency has a price.
Minnesota, which earned an upset win at last weekend’s regional after an up-and-down regular season, learned Stanford (24-0) is its first-round opponent at the NCAA Championships, which start this weekend in Athens, Ga. The Cardinals have been ranked No. 1 in the nation for most of the year.
The Gophers (14-12) have the worst record in the tournament by far but earned an automatic bid when they stunned the NCAA regional field by winning three consecutive matches as the No. 6 seed. The Gophers defeated No. 11 Duke to clinch their regional title.
After taking an identical route to the NCAAs in 1996, Minnesota was shut out by a powerful Mississippi team in the first round.
— Michael Rand
Men’s tennis nets Stanford in NCAAs
Published May 20, 1998
