Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. - The NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Subcommittee has selected Virginia Tech’s Luka Somen as one of the 64 singles players that will compete in the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championships hosted by Stanford University. An All-ACC honoree, Somen received an at-large selection to the tournament, joining Yoann Re (2009-10), Albert Larrogola (2008) and Arvid Puranen (2006) as recent Hokies to participate in the event. The Tech duo of Nicolas Delgado de Robles and Pedro Graber participated in the 2007 NCAA Doubles Championships.
The singles and doubles competition will be conducted May 25-30 at the Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, Calif., following the conclusion of the team championship (May 19-24). Pairings for the individual tournament will be released on May 24.
“I am so proud of the effort that Luka has put in this year,” said Virginia Tech head coach Jim Thompson. “He is extremely dedicated and has represented Virginia Tech in such a great way all year. Luka really deserves this opportunity to compete at the NCAA Championships and I know if he plays the way he is capable, he has an excellent chance at Stanford. It is also exciting to watch him continue to grow and develop and this opportunity is another big step along the way. As a junior, he will have the chance to really leave a lasting mark on our program. I am very happy for Luka and all the Virginia Tech tennis supporters who have followed him all year.”
Somen (Jr., Karlovac, Croatia) is ranked No. 59 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll. A 2011 All-ACC selection, Somen defeated two top 30 players this season en-route to winning 20 singles matches. Somen was the 2009 ACC Freshman of the Year.
In order for Somen to become an All-American, he must win two matches to finish as one of the final 16 competitors at the championships.
Prior to participating in the singles event, Somen will look to help his teammates as they return to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year on Fri., May 13, at 10 a.m., when the No. 37 Hokies travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to play No. 32 Vanderbilt (13-10) in the opening round of the tournament. The first and second round matches will be played at the Dr. Robert L. Barksdale Tennis Stadium and are hosted by the University of Tennessee. The winner of Tech-Vandy match will play the winner of the No. 3 Tennessee (21-4) vs. No. 64 Radford (22-3) match in the second round. The Hokies defeated the Commodors, 4-0, in the 2010 first round in Louisville, Ky.