Courtesy of UNLV Athletics
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Mountain West Tennis Player of the Year Christopher Bulus (BULL-is) is the first UNLV men’s player in four seasons to earn a spot in the NCAA Division I Singles Championship as the field was announced Tuesday.
Bulus (Lagos, Nigeria) earned the honor by securing the league’s automatic bid to the field of 64 by being the highest ranked player in the conference (currently at No. 85). Also named All-MW in singles, Bulus stands 21-6 overall, including 16-5 in dual matches at the top spot in the lineup.
“Chris is thoroughly deserving of his selection to the NCAA singles tournament,” said UNLV head coach Owen Hambrook. “He is one of the hardest-working players I have had the pleasure of coaching and we are excited to see him in action on a national stage later this month.”
Including Bulus, 12 Rebels have been selected to compete at the final event of the college season with some spectacular results. Luke Smith went to two tournaments and, as a senior in 1997, rolled through the field to win the school’s first tennis national championship. He then teamed with Tim Blenkiron a few hours later to win the doubles title as well. The most recent Rebel in the field was Alexandr Cozbinov, who earned the MW singles auto bid in 2018.
This year’s singles and doubles competition will be conducted May 23-28 at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in Champaign, Illinois, after the conclusion of the team championship, which runs
from May 19-22. The University of Illinois will serve as host.
All matches shall be the best-of-three sets. No-ad scoring and a seven-point tiebreaker (first to seven points, must win by two points) at six-games-all will be used for all matches. Bulus will learn his first round opponent when the draw is released at the conclusion of the team event.
