The LSU men’s tennis team is back in the NCAA tournament after a one-year absence.
The NCAA announced on Tuesday the field of 64 teams in the Division I Men’s Tennis Championship. No. 34-ranked LSU (11-13) will face No. 26 Indiana (23-7) in the first round May 13 in College Station, Texas.
LSU coach Jeff Brown said LSU-Indiana is a matchup worth watching.
“I’ve followed their results, and they’ve had a great year, one of the best in school history,” Brown said. “They are somewhat similar to us in the types of wins and types of losses they’ve had.”
LSU is one of nine Southeastern Conference teams in the NCAA tournament. If LSU beats Indiana, the Tigers will face the winner of host Texas A&M, the No. 9-ranked team, and Alcorn State.
LSU and Indiana have faced off only five times. Brown said LSU’s most recent match against Indiana was a pivotal one in the 1999 regular season, his second year as LSU coach, when the Tigers lost to the Hoosiers, 4-3.
“We had a bunch of injuries, and they weren’t highly ranked,” Brown said. “I remember that match being a crossroads in our season. Later on we got our guys back and made it to the Final Four that year.”
Last year was the first time in Brown’s 13 seasons that LSU did not receive an NCAA tournament berth.
LSU assistant coach Danny Bryan said the team is thrilled to make it back to the NCAA tournament in 2011.
“It was tough to miss it last year. it’s something we’ve grown to expect,” Bryan said. “This last week we’ve really pushed the guys, doing a lot of running and conditioning. Hopefully we can peak at the right time.”
LSU will depart for College Station on May 11.
 
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