Injury Bug Bites, Weather Threatens as NCAA Division I Men's Team Championships Begin Thursday

©Colette Lewis 2024--

Stillwater Oklahoma--

The women took to the practice courts today at the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center on the campus of Oklahoma State University, then held short press conferences as part of the leadup to the NCAA Division I Team Championships quarterfinals, which begin for the women on Friday. The men had their practice and media day on Tuesday, as they go first this year and have Friday off.

I arrived late in the afternoon, so I was able to attend just one press conference, that of Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda and senior Lauren Anzalotta. Their success at the Greenwood Tennis Center last Saturday, in one of the biggest upsets in D-I women's tennis in the past three decades, was undoubtedly still fresh in their minds, and they both believe that performance is repeatable against UCLA.

"We do a lot of sessions with our sports psychologist Dr. Joe, back in Knoxville and he says you just have to be the better team in the moment," Anzalotta said. "And that's something that really stuck out to us. I just think that you don't have to necessarily be the best tennis player, but you have to have heart in the moment, more determination, more passion and literally just be the better team in that moment."

Ojeda will be studying up on UCLA before Friday, but said she's knows the Volunteers will need "a lot of discipline. We actually don't know UCLA that well yet, we've got a little bit of film on them and will watch them and get ready...and what we've talked about all year long on our team, there's a chemistry and a bond where they actually help each other play at a higher level."

After the conclusion of the press conference, I was able have several conversations with the Cracked Racquet crew and others who have been on site, and unfortunately, much of the news isn't good.

There is rain in the forecast for Thursday and Friday morning, but the hope is that it is similar to today, which I heard was wet to start, but cleared by 11 a.m. and there were no further threats of rain or storms the rest of the day.

The injury report is much more dire than that. Two-time men's defending champion Virginia, seeded No. 3 this year, will have its top player Chris Rodesch out for the duration of the tournament after being diagnosed with mononucleosis. Virginia's Inaki Montes, who will move up to the top spot for the Cavaliers against No. 6 Wake Forest, has a hamstring injury in addition to the shoulder problems he's been dealing with all season. 

Texas's Pierre Yves Bailly has a bone bruise and is unlikely to compete in doubles and singles against Tennessee; the Longhorns' No. 4 did not play against UCLA in the second round or Texas A&M in the Super Regional. No. 4 TCU continues to be banged up, with neither Jake Fearnley nor Sebastian Gorzny at full health, but both are expected to play against No. 5 Kentucky.

Christopher Li of Tennessee, submitted at No. 3 but absent throughout the NCAAs, will not play for the Volunteers; he has entered the transfer portal.

Kentucky, Ohio State and Columbia are as healthy as can be expected at the point in the season.

The women's injury list is not as extensive, at least for now, more than 24 hours from their first quarterfinal,  but the report on Lucia Peyre of Oklahoma State is as bad as feared. Peyre retired during OSU's Super Regional match here on Saturday and an MRI Monday showed a torn ACL.

Thursday's schedule:

Men's NCAA quarterfinals (all times Eastern)
Ohio State[1] v Columbia[8], noon
Kentucky[5] v TCU[4] 2:30 p.m.
Tennessee[7] v Texas[2] 5:00 p.m.
Virginia[3] v Wake Forest[6] 7:30 p.m.

Friday's schedule:

Women's NCAA quarterfinals (Friday ET)
Georgia[7] v Stanford[2], noon
Michigan[3] v Pepperdine[6], 2:30 p.m
Virginia[5] v Texas A&M[13], 5 p.m.
Tennessee[16] v UCLA[8], 7:30 p.m.

Cracked Racquets coverage of the team championships returns to ESPN+ beginning tomorrow. They have been doing exclusive interviews with many players and coaches the past two days that will be aired throughout their coverage of the team championships.

Links to the iOnCourt live scoring for the matches are available at the NCAA tournament hub.