The 15th annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Kickoff Weekend is set to take place at the Boone Tennis Center in Lexington, Kentucky. The event, which features some of the top college tennis teams in the country, will see No. 10 Kentucky host Alabama, Nebraska, and Notre Dame over the course of two days.
The action kicks off on Friday at 1 p.m. when Kentucky takes on Notre Dame. This will be followed by a clash between Alabama and Nebraska at 5 p.m. The winners of these two matches will advance to the final on Saturday at 3 p.m., where they will compete for a spot in the 2024 ITA Indoor Nationals. Meanwhile, the losing teams will face off in a consolation match on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Admission to the matches is free for fans, and for those who are unable to attend, live stats and streaming will be available. This allows tennis enthusiasts to stay up to date with all the action from the comfort of their own homes.
The ITA Kickoff Weekend is an exclusive event that invites the top 15 teams from the previous season’s final ITA Division I National Rankings to host three other programs. The 15 teams that advance from the kickoff will then compete at the National Team Indoors, with one spot automatically reserved for the tournament host. This year, the ITA Men’s Team Indoor Championships will be hosted by Columbia University in New York.
Kentucky has had success in recent years, qualifying for the Indoor Nationals in each of the past two seasons and even reaching the national semifinals last year. In last season’s kickoff, they secured victories over Liberty and Notre Dame to earn their place in the Championship bracket.
The Wildcats have made an impressive start to the 2024 season, winning all three of their matches so far. They have recorded home victories against Northern Kentucky and EKU, and most recently, they edged out Illinois 4-3 in their first road match. Notably, sophomore Charlelie Cosnet and freshman Matt Rankin have been leading the way with perfect 3-0 records in singles. The doubles pairing of Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer has also been in top form, boasting an unblemished 2-0 record.
The schedule for the Lexington Regional of the ITA Kickoff Weekend is as follows:
Friday:
– Kentucky vs. Notre Dame at 1 p.m.
– Alabama vs. Nebraska at 5 p.m.
Saturday:
– Consolation match at 11 a.m.
– Championship match at 3 p.m.
Fans can stay updated on the latest news and results by following the Wildcats on X and Instagram at @UKMensTennis.
