The Lancaster Bible College men's tennis team will play its first-ever NCAA Division III Championships match on Thursday, as the Chargers battle Drew in the first round of the tournament. Thursday's winner will advance to the second round and take on host North Carolina Wesleyan on Friday.
 
Lancaster Bible enters Thursday's match with an 11-1 overall record, as the team won the North Eastern Athletic Conference Championship for the second straight season, and then defeated Northern Vermont-Lyndon in the NEAC-NAC Crossover match to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.
 
Drew is a perfect 10-0 this season, as the Rangers cruised Landmark Conference play during the regular season, and then defeated Scranton, 5-2 in the Landmark Conference Final to secure the conference's automatic bid.
 
Lancaster Bible vs. Drew
NCAA Division III Championships First Round
Thursday, May 13, 2021 – 2 p.m.
Rocky Mount, N.C. – North Carolina Wesleyan
 
Team Records
Lancaster Bible: 11-1
Drew: 10-0
 
How They Got Here 
Lancaster Bible: The Chargers defeated Penn St. Abington, 6-3 in the NEAC Semifinals, and then defeated Penn St. Harrisburg by the same margin to defend its NEAC crown…Lancaster Bible then easily defeated Northern Vermont-Lyndon, 9-0 in the NEAC-NAC Crossover Match to earn a trip to the NCAA Division III Championships.
 
Drew: The Rangers earned a 5-0 victory over Elizabethtown in the Landmark Quarterfinals, and then defeated Susquehanna by the same score in the semifinals, before beating Scranton, 5-2, in the aforementioned Landmark Conference Final.
 
Statistically Speaking
Lancaster Bible: Lancaster Bible is 51-17 in singles play this season and 28-7 in doubles play…The No. 3 doubles team of Keven Vallette and Micah Weaver is a perfect 9-0 this season, while the No. 2 team of Malachi Bomgardner and AJ Kwiatkowski is 7-3…Not to be outdone, the No. 1 doubles team of Devon Clemmer and Tyler Norris is 7-2…Kwiatkowski is 12-0 this season in singles play, while Vallette is 11-1 during singles play…Weaver is 8-3 in singles play this season, while Bomgardner is 8-2 in singles action.
 
Drew: The Rangers are equally as impressive this season, as Drew is 39-11 in singles play this season and 25-5 in doubles action…The No. 2 team of Geoffrey Diehl and Bret Schuler is 10-0 this season, and though several teams have played at No. 3 doubles for the Rangers, none of them have lost, as the team is 10-0 at No.3 doubles this year…Both Jack Polvere and Santo Carrocia are a perfect 6-0 in singles play this season, while Jeremy Gottlieb and Diehl each have seven singles victories.
 
Team Notes 
Lancaster Bible: Lancaster Bible is 5-0 away from home this season…The Chargers have not lost since March 20 when they were upended by Mount Aloysius, 5-4 (the Mounties are also playing at the NCAA Division III Championships)…Lancaster Bible and Drew have never played in men's tennis…The Chargers are 0-6 all-time against Landmark Conference opponents, as Lancaster Bible is 0-3 against both Goucher and Juniata…Vallette needs just one more singles victory to become the program's all-time leader in wins.
 
Drew: This is Drew's fifth time appearing at the NCAA Division III Championships…Drew is 3-4 all-time at the NCAA Division III Championships, as the team picked up wins in 2013, 2012, and 2010…Drew Head Coach Scott Veith was named Landmark Conference Coach of the Year, as he and the Rangers will battled NEAC Coach of the Year, Rod Baughman, who leads the Chargers.
 
How to Watch
Thursday's match will be broadcast LIVE thanks to North Carolina Wesleyan.