May 24, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Nittany Lion tennis players Jason Lee (Melbourne, Australia) and Russell Bader (Austin, Texas) competed today in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Men's Tennis Doubles Championships. Head coach Jeff Zinn's tandem battled the 10th-ranked doubles team from Oklahoma to three sets before falling in the opener of the 32-team NCAA doubles tournament in Athens, Ga.
Lee and Bader won the first set against No. 10 Costin Paval and Dane Webb of Oklahoma 6-3 before dropping a close second set, 7-5. Paval and Webb the won the decisive third set 6-1. Lee and Bader entered the tournament ranked No. 27 nationally.
Lee, a senior, and Bader, a sophomore are coming off a stellar 2011-12 season as Penn State's No. 1 doubles team. They recently completed one of the most impressive campaigns in Nittany Lion history. Even with Lee missing more than a month of action due to injury, the tandem finished the season with a 14-2 record after the NCAA tourney loss, including a perfect 6-0 mark against ranked opponents. They also came in No. 27 in the final regular season ITA Doubles poll.
As a senior co-captain, Lee led the way for Penn State this season. He posted 17 doubles wins overall and moved into third place all-time in career doubles victories. Bader was equally impressive, posting 24 doubles victories on the season.
The tournament, which crowns the NCAA men's and women's team champions, individual champions and doubles champions, continues through 28 at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens.