On to the NCAA tournament

A look ahead at USD men’s tennis as they prepare to take on Texas Tech University

Anderson Haigler | Sports Editor | The USD Vista

The University of San Diego men’s tennis team is no stranger to the NCAA tournament. One could even say that they’ve “been there before.” For the last seven years straight, the Toreros have made a tournament appearance. This year was no exception. 

Last week, USD continued their run of postseason success, clinching a bid to the NCAA tournament after being crowned West Coast Conference (WCC) champions for the fifth consecutive season. A berth to the tournament like the one USD just earned is no easy feat. Out of 256 total Division I men’s tennis teams, just 60 make the cut into the postseason tournament. And while many programs would be satisfied just to qualify, the Toreros have their eye on something more this season. 

After nearly a decade of relevance, the team is looking to stride deeper into the national bracket than they ever have before. If they are to do so, a challenging, but familiar path to success lies ahead. Just a week shy of his team’s first round match in the NCAA tournament, USD men’s tennis head coach Ryan Keckley shared his thoughts on the Toreros’ recent success. 

“It’s incredible,” Keckley said. “What these guys have done, working so hard day in and day out to achieve this honor is something special, and it’s not something you take for granted. I mean two (WCC tournament championships) in a row is something special, let alone five in a row, and a lot of things and a lot of people have helped on the way to achieve this. And I couldn’t be prouder of the group. It’s definitely something we don’t take for granted, and we know it’s gonna be hard work every single year, but it’s always one of our goals. Because from an institutional standpoint, from my standpoint, it’s a prestigious conference, and we want to make our university proud, and we’ll keep working at it.”

It’s no secret that the Toreros have dominated the WCC in recent years. Keckley, who was named WCC men’s tennis coach of the year last week, mentioned a tradition the Toreros keep as a reminder of their dedication to their conference success.

“We have something we do before and after every single practice,” Keckley said. “We touch our WCC patch as a constant reminder that this is our conference, and we have to work to protect. It’s that little reminder for the guys of what they’re working to achieve every single day. That gets lost in translation as the season winds on, you kind of forget why you’re working so hard. So it’s a constant reminder for them, that one of their goals, in order to achieve it, you gotta put in the work, the effort, and the camaraderie.”

Next week, though, the Toreros must contend with an opponent from outside the WCC, and a familiar one at that. Slated to take on Texas Tech University (TTU), who USD lost to in a mid-March competition, Keckley spoke about his team’s first round matchup. 

“I thought that that match (against TTU) was a pivotal matchup for us, win or lose, because we were really starting to buy into some of the concepts that we had been preaching and practicing,” Keckley said. “We were a team that was together and fighting for throughout the entire course of that match, but sometimes it doesn’t go your way. We felt like we played strong, we felt like we could play with them, and not only play with them, but beat them. So I think just knowing, and seeing what that team’s about is certainly gonna help us prepare for our first-round match.”

Adding another layer of intrigue to the Torero’s upcoming matchup is the fact that the Red Raiders of Texas Tech are coached by Brett Masi, the former USD men’s tennis head coach who preceded current coach Keckley. Keckley, who worked as an assistant coach under Masi from 2009-2012, shared his thoughts on going up against an old colleague.

“It’s always tough to play against a close friend, and a mentor like Brett Masi,” Keckley said. “But you know, it’ll be an enjoyable one. After the match against Texas Tech we hugged it out, and it goes without saying that whoever wins will be happy for the other person. There’s obviously a certain competitive side of things that is hard to let go. So he’s gonna want to win, and so am I, but I think we’ll just enjoy competing against each other, because at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about.”

Keckley’s team is heavy on talent, but light on NCAA tournament experience. Despite the vast majority of his team being younger players who lack experience on a stage as large as the NCAA tournament, he emphasized that his team will be well prepared come this Saturday.

“We’ve hit enough balls at this point, being this deep in the season,” Keckley said. “You always say you ‘play for May,’ but now it’s about keeping mentally sharp, and emotionally engaged throughout the course of this week and next leading up to the match.”

The Toreros begin the NCAA tournament with a first round matchup against Texas Tech University this Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.