Penn men’s tennis (18-9, 4-3 Ivy) will head to the NCAA tournament for the second time in program history.
The Quakers were awarded an at-large bid to the tournament, which was revealed at a selection show on Monday. The Quakers face No. 18 Stanford (17-8, 9-4 ACC) in the first round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship on May 1 in College Station, Texas.
“Seeing our name … during the selection show was definitely something that was extremely exciting,” senior Manfredi Graziani said. “I think we worked really hard during the entire year, just sticking to the basic things, to what we know how to do best.”
The Quakers won their last match of the season against Yale (16-9, 3-4 Ivy) on April 19, which may have helped them to a higher seed in the NCAA tournament. The day after the game, the team presented a thank-you video to Graziani and fellow senior captain Matthew Rutter, which included messages from current and former teammates.
“It was an amazing day and then the next day for them to show us the video, it just kind of [brought] it all together. It was a really, really good culmination of events,” Rutter said.
The team’s first-ever NCAA tournament appearance came in 2022, when Penn recorded a program-record 19 wins in one regular season, including 11 straight victories at home. After placing second in the Ivy League, the Red and Blue secured an at-large bid to qualify for the 2022 tournament, but lost 4-3 in the first round to VCU, then led by former coach David Gaetz.
Manfredi Graziani’s brother Edoardo was a member of the Penn team that played in the 2022 NCAA tournament.
“For me, obviously, being able to qualify and make the tournament was special because [Edoardo] had done it as well,” Manfredi Graziani said. “He was obviously super proud of all the team.”
This year, Penn finished third in the Ancient Eight with a 4-3 record behind Cornell and Columbia and is currently ranked No. 40. It will be coach Rich Bonfiglio’s fifth appearance at an NCAA tournament but his first since he joined Penn in 2023.
Stanford appears in the tournament for the 18th consecutive time after also earning an at-large bid. The Cardinal made it to the semifinals last year and has won 17 championships in its history, the second-most all-time.
“If we’re playing well, they’re beatable,” Rutter said.
As Penn looks for its first-ever victory in the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship, the team has seen recent success on the national stage. In the fall, Graziani and junior Aaron Sandler advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA D-I Doubles Championships, the furthest a Penn doubles team had ever made it in that tournament.
“We’re scared of no one and we’re confident,” Manfredi Graziani said. “We’re gonna be ready for Friday and it’s definitely gonna be a great match.”
The Quakers take on Stanford on Friday, May 1 in College Station, Texas.
