SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's tennis team is headed to the NCAA Regions as the fifth seed. The NCAA Selections Show Tuesday night revealed the Lions will face the fourth-seeded Delta State on Friday, May 7 at 10 a.m. in the preliminary round. The 2021 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships will be hosted at the University of West Florida starting on Friday, May 7 and concluding on Sunday, May 9. Saint Leo pulled in a fifth seeding after a tremendous 8-2 season, going 6-1 in the Sunshine State Conference. The Green and Gold finished the regular season ranked fourth nationally, fourth among the South Region, and second in the conference regular season and tournament championship.
 
The Bracket Layout
{Winner of preliminary round}
1 Barry (8-0)
 
2 Valdosta State (15-1)
3 West Florida (16-5)
 
Preliminary Round | Friday, May 7 at 10 a.m.
4 Delta State (15-4)
5 Saint Leo (8-2)

The Delta State Statesmen
Delta State drew the fourth seed in the program's ninth all-time NCAA postseason appearance, the Statemen's first appearance since 2008. Delta State enters the tournament with a 15-4 overall record, gong 7-2 in the Gulf South Conference (GSC).  
 
Trey Seymour compiled an 11-2 singles record going 10-2 in the fourth flight and adding a win in the fifth. Teammate, Come Bracaval tallied a 12-2 singles mark, registering an 11-2 record in the fifth flight and earning a win in the fourth. First flight doubles team, Seymour and Emile Le Terrier enter the postseason on an eight-match win streak on their way to putting up a 10-1 season record.
 
History: Last Meeting
The regional foes last met back on March 3, 2012. Nearly a decade ago, the 19^th ranked Lions blanked the Statesmen 9-0. The 2011-12 Saint Leo men's tennis program put together a 16-8 overall record which also punched a ticket to the NCAA Regional tournament.

Nationally Ranked Lions on the Court
SINGLES: Among the elite group, three Lions wrapped up the 2021 regular season ranked among the top-25 singles in the country. Bruno Faletto hauled a 13^th place ranking followed by Nicolas Bacella ranked 18^th, and Aurel Ciocanu who earned the 21^st spot. Bruno captured a 4-3 first flight record while Bacella went 5-1 in the two spot. Ciocanu compiled a 7-2 record going 6-1 in the third flight and 1-1 in the first.
 
DOUBLES: Alexander Parker and Christopher Traut, have dominated the first flight all season long. The first flight duo enter the postseason undefeated with a 10-0 record. Parker and Traut opened the season with a win in the second flight and took care of business in the first flight for the remainder of the year. Parker and Traut round off the nation's top-3 doubles team. Meanwhile, fellow Lions, Ciocanu and Willem Van Den Akker are ranked 15^th in doubles action. The team has compiled a 5-4 record registering a 4-4 mark in the second flight and a win in the one spot.
 
On Thursday, May 6, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is scheduled to announce updated national team, singles, and doubles rankings. 
 
Saint Leo NCAA History
The Saint Leo men's tennis program is no stranger to the regional postseason. 2021 marks the Lions' ninth NCAA Regional appearance: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.
 
Most Recently: A Look Back to 2019
The seventh-seeded Saint Leo Lions fell 4-0 in the NCAA South Regional II on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at the second-seeded Valdosta State. The Lions closed the 2019 season with an overall record of 16-10 under the direction of head coach Chad Berryhill.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's tennis team, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
 
Keeping Our Lions Healthy & Safe
Saint Leo University Athletics is keeping our student-athletes healthy and safe by following a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes having student-athletes tested or screened on a regular basis, traveling in smaller groups, limiting the number of fans in attendance, avoiding overnight trips, and wearing masks when not competing. These safety standards meet those set by the NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference President's Council. At Saint Leo University, the COVID-19 Incident Command Team also reviews the teams' safety protocol and monitors adherence on a regular basis.