Men’s tennis doubles team competes at ITA National Championship

Game, set and match. Sophomores Daan Van Dijk and Matej Panik are serving up their competition as the doubles pair are representing Montana State this week as the first men’s doubles tennis team to qualify for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Fall Championships. The pair qualified after a successful fall season that saw the pair go 9-2. "As a doubles team, the recognition they're receiving by getting a bid to Nationals speaks for itself," Bobcat Head Coach Trey Morris said. "They finished 9-2 in two tournaments as a pairing, advancing to the finals of two tough events and they beat a top 20 team, and one of the two losses was to that same top 20 team."

Both men are competing in the very first fall tennis season of their MSU careers. Panik  recently transferred to MSU and Van Dijk joined the team last January. "I'm new here, this is my first semester at MSU," Panik said, "so this is huge to come out to a new environment, a new space and basically have success like this. In my first fall season, I didn't expect it, but it's just a beginning." Van Dijk added, "It's also my first fall semester. So to go to Nationals right away is amazing."

On Thursday the team took to the court and unfortunately fell to USC in the first round of the Championship. The first match was not how the duo wanted their tournament to go, the excitement of being the only two to represent Bobcat tennis at this event since 2003, when Federico Ueltschi entered the competition to compete at the All American Championship, is still a major accomplishment. Despite the loss, the duo faced Miami on Friday, November 5, taking on the consolation round in San Diego.

For more updates on the Van Dijk and Pabik doubles team, follow @msumenstennis or watch the live stream of the tournament at https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=piSlVyemSsc&feature=youtu.be.