GoUSFBulls.com No. 17 USF Tennis Faces No. 18 Oklahoma Friday Among Final Home Weekend Matches

[Brad]

USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: MARCH 31, 2016

 

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No. 17 USF Tennis Faces No. 18 Oklahoma Friday

Among Final Home Weekend Matches

Senior class that elevated program to national prominence to be honored

 

WEEKEND SCHEDULE: Friday vs. No. 18 Oklahoma, 3 p.m.; 

Saturday vs. UCF, 11 a.m.; Saturday vs. SMU, 4 p.m.
WHERE: USF Varsity Courts, Northeast end of USF Campus, free admission
LIVE SCORING: GoUSFBulls.com
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TAMPA, MARCH 31, 2016 – USF men’s tennis will honor a class that’s helped changed the face of the program during an action-packed final weekend of on-campus competition for the program.

 

No. 17 USF (13-6) begins its final home stretch of the season with a top-25 showdown against No. 18 Oklahoma at 3 p.m. Friday at the USF Varsity Courts. The Bulls play a pair of conference matches on Saturday, starting with a test against rival UCF.

 

Seniors Roberto Cid, Ignacio Gonzalez-Muniz, Dominic Cotrone and Everth Dzib will be recognized by the program midway through its 4 p.m. match against No. 27 SMU on Saturday. Admission is free all weekend at the USF Varsity Courts.

 

“They’ve changed the image of South Florida’s tennis program in the United States and around the world,” head coach Matt Hill said.

 

Cid, Gonzalez-Muniz and Dzib have helped boost the Bulls from a No. 74 national ranking in 2013 all the way up to the top tier of tennis programs. USF captured its second consecutive American Athletic Conference title last season on the way to making more program history. The Bulls booked their first-ever trip to the NCAA Championship Round of 16 last spring and earned the program’s best-ever ranking by starting this season at No. 13 in the Oracle/ITA poll.

 

With Cid, Gonzalez-Muniz and Dzib on the roster, USF has gone 53-20 since Hill’s first season with the program in 2013-14. Cotrone, an FSU transfer, has helped USF stay in the top 25 all season in his first run with the Bulls.

 

“This class is just a super special class for me because it was our first recruiting class. Guys committed to us when the program was not anywhere near where it is today,” Hill said. “They chose us over some of the best programs in the nation with hopes and desires of building something special and they’ve done that. Saturday is going to be a very emotional day for me and the group.”

 

Here is a look at what each senior has accomplished during his time at USF:

 

Roberto Cid: The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native is currently ranked No. 5 nationally in singles and it’s no surprise with all he’s done as a Bull. The two-time American Athletic Conference Player of the Year has a 54-14 career singles record at USF and he’s 15-2 this season. Cid became USF's first ITA All-American as a sophomore in 2013-14.

“It’s been really fun to see all his hard work continue to pay off and it’s just a great reflection of how much of an animal this guy is on the training court,” Hill said. “He works hard at his craft and it’s not the last time we’re going to see him, that’s for sure.”

 

Ignacio Gonzalez-Muniz: Winning has been the norm for the native of Gijon Asturas, Spain since he started competing for the Bulls in 2012-13. Gonzalez-Muniz has gone 62-25 in doubles with a 21-4 record last season. Gonzalez-Muniz also has a 49-31 singles record with at least 10 victories in each of his past three seasons.

 

Dominic Cotrone: The FSU transfer has made an instant impact as a Bull, going 19-5 in doubles and 13-7 in singles this season. The Bay Area product from Bradenton and doubles partner Justin Roberts are currently ranked No. 32 nationally.

 

Everth Dzib: The native of Yucatan State, Mexico has been a part of USF’s climb up the national rankings since the 2012-13 season. Dzib has won 40 combined matches along the way after becoming the eighth-ranked player in Mexico in high school.

[raptorcj]

lost 4-1, ugh. Got the first point for doubles, then dropped 4 singles matches in a row. Tough outing, but they'll bounce back.