May 7, 2005

Indianapolis, IN - Pepperdine junior Pedro Rico made a name for himself on the national scene last year when he advanced to the round of 16 in the 2004 NCAA men's singles tournament. He'll have an opportunity to solidify that name in 2005 as he has once again been named to the draw of the nation's top 64 players. He will be accompanied this year by teammate Scott Doerner who makes his first championship tournament appearance following a stellar junior year.

Rico, who hasn't been out of the ITA's top-25 in over a year, currently holds a 14-6 dual match record on the season, including a 10-1 record at the number two position. In 2004, after being named the WCC "Player of the Year" as a sophomore, Rico stunned fourth-seeded Catalin Gard of Mississippi (7-5, 7-6) in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Rico was then downed in the sweet sixteen, but not before becoming the 40th All-American in Pepperdine men's tennis' storied history.

Doerner is looking to emulate Rico's success in the tournament, as he has already followed in his teammate's footsteps in being named the 2005 WCC "Player of the Year." The 2005 spring season has seen Doerner rise from his No. 125 spot in the ITA preseason poll, to his current national rank of 34. Doerner has put together an 18-4 mark this year, which includes an 11-2 record at the top of the Waves' potent lineup. Doerner holds victories over five ranked players this season including wins over #14 Jerry Makowski (6-2, 7-5) of Texas A&M and #13 Conor Niland from Cal.

Rico and Doerner will also pair to take on the field in the doubles tournament at College Station. Having been ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in March, the pair now occupies the 7th spot in the current poll. A 17-3 record heading into the team championships, Rico/Doerner have lead the way as the Waves have won every doubles point contested this season. They are a 5-8 seed in the 32-team bracket.

The singles and doubles competition will be conducted May 25-30 at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Tex., following the conclusion of the team championship (May 21-24).

Pepperdine is hosting the first two rounds of the team tournament with a four-team regional championship May 14-15 at the Ralphs-Strauss Tennis Center. The Waves kick off their postseason run against UC Irvine on Saturday, May 15.