ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – UCF’s No. 18 ranked pair consisting of Bogdan Pavel and Trey Hilderbrand are ready to begin their journey in the NCAA Doubles Championships as they will face the No. 1 pair in the nation, Baylor’s Sven Lah and Jimmy Bendeck at around 5:30 p.m.
Pavel and Hilderbrand cracked into the doubles rankings late in the season, checking in at No. 54 on March 12. Two weeks later, the pair jumped 34 spots to No. 20. They climbed as high as No. 14, a mark they achieved on April 23.
Pavel and Hilderbrand earned a 15-4 record at the top doubles spot and collected an 8-1 record against ranked opposition. The pair had won nine straight matches, with eight of them coming against ranked opponents, before that streak was snapped in the NCAA Tournament against No. 28 Florida State.
On the other side of the net will be Baylor’s Sven Lah and Jimmy Bendeck who sit atop the doubles rankings. The pair is 15-5 this season and have posted a 13-3 record against other ranked tandems. They earned their way to an 11-1 record in the fall, bringing their total record to 26-6 for the 2018-2019 campaign. Their best win came over No. 9 TCU’s top pair who was ranked No. 6 in the nation at the time as the Baylor pair took a 6-4 victory. Lah and Bendeck didn’t have to climb far up the rankings as they began the dual match season ranked third in the country after their incredible fall season.
Fans can watch Pavel and Hilderbrand’s match today on the Tennis Channel if they are unable to attend the event in person. Their match will be played on court six at the UCF Collegiate Tennis Center at the USTA National Campus.
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android phone! The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF Men's Tennis on social media on Facebook (/UCF.MTennis), Twitter (UCF_MTennis) and Instagram (UCF.MTennis).