The top 64 coed intramural club tennis teams from colleges across the country competed for the 2018 Tennis On Campus (TOC) National Championship. Approximately 600 players attended the three-day tournament, which was held at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida, April 12-14.

 

Of the more than 20 college teams who partake in TOC in the Eastern section, four club teams qualified to play in this year’s national championships: Columbia University, Cornell University, Rutgers University, and the University of Rochester.

 

Cornell’s team yielded the strongest finish, placing seventh in the country. Cornell advanced to the Gold Bracket after beating teams from Vanderbilt University, Texas Christian University and the University of New Mexico, and then defeated North Carolina State in the knockout round. ADVERTISEMENT Cornell fell in the quarterfinals to one of the best teams in the country, Stanford University, which finished in third-place at this year’s tournament. Cornell did go on to beat Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in the 7^th vs 8th place match. In the end, Ohio State University came out on top in this year’s national championship tournament final against UNC Chapel Hill.

 

The University of Rochester made its first-ever appearance at a TOC National Championship, recording wins over Tarrant County College and Kent State. Last year, Rochester finished 5th in the USTA Eastern Regional tournament.

 

Julie Bliss, Senior Director of Competition at USTA Eastern is very proud of Rochester’s performance. “The University of Rochester has a great roster and we were so excited that they made it to their very first TOC nationals. Rochester runs a lot of TOC tournaments throughout the season and their team works really hard.  Practice and training has certainly payed off for them!”

 

Launched in 2000, the USTA Tennis On Campus program offers college students the opportunity to play competitive tennis in college, without the strict demands of a varsity tennis team.  With 35,000 students participating on more than 600 campuses across the nation, Tennis On Campus offers a fun, coed format designed to accommodate all levels of play, with the top teams competing for regional and national championships. Tennis On Campus helps students, many who played high school tennis, stay connected to the sport they love playing while providing an outlet for active and healthy lifestyles throughout their college years.

 

In looking to the future, Bliss is very optimistic about TOC in the Eastern Section. “I would like to see Eastern’s representation continue to grow. The number of teams the section can endorse for the national championship depends on how many teams compete at the sectional championships,” said Bliss. “Our TOC teams are competing at a high level and most importantly, they are having fun, which shows on and off the court. We are very grateful to the TOC captains who do a stellar job leading their teams.”  

 

To learn if there is a Tennis On Campus program at your college or university, please contact Julie Bliss, USTA Eastern Senior Director of Competition.