Oct. 22, 2007

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's tennis program has earned a trip to the Mountain Region Team Playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons, officials announced Monday.

Although it was an individual tournament held at the Darling Tennis Center last week, the Rebels compiled enough points in the singles and doubles scoring system to come in fourth out of the 16 teams that entered players in the field.

The top four teams earn a bid to face off in a one-day tournament at the first-place team's site. The winner of the playoff earns an automatic bid to the National Team Indoor Championships, which will be held this season on Feb. 15-18 on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle.

Because it came in first in scoring, Boise State will host the event and face fourth-seed UNLV on January 26 at the Appleton Tennis Center. New Mexico will face Utah in the other semifinal with the two winning teams playing each other later that same day.

"Making the team playoff is always the top goal our team in the fall season so we are excited about returning again. It is a testament to how hard this team has worked," UNLV head coach Owen Hambrook said. "We look forward to facing a tough Boise State program for the chance at earning a spot into the national tournament."