Bobcat Doubles Team of Daan Van Dijk and Matej Panik Compete in ITA Fall National Championships Beginning Thursday
11/3/2021 9:24:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The duo faces a team from USC at 6:30 pm MT
BOZEMAN, Montana – The Montana State men's double team of sophomores Daan Van Dijk and Matej Panik compete at the ITA Fall Nationals in San Diego on Thursday, and it caught both slightly by surprise.
"I'm new here, this is my first semester at MSU," said Hawai'i Pacific transfer Panik, "so this is huge to come out to a new environment, a new space, and basically have success like this. In my first fall season, I didn't expect it, but it's just a beginning." Van Dijk, who joined the Bobcats as a freshman in January, agreed. "It's also my first fall semester," he said, "so to go to Nationals right away is amazing."
The Bobcat tandem becomes the first on record to represent Montana State as a doubles team in the ITA's fall national championship competition, playing at the Barnes Tennis Center at 6:30 pm Thursday (November 4) in a match scheduled for video streaming. Panik and Van Dijk face USC juniors Stefan Dostanic and Samuel Rubell, who won the ITA Southwest Regional Doubles in Malibu in their first competition playing together. They finished the weekend 5-0 in doubles play.
"As a doubles team the recognition they're receiving by getting a bid to Nationals speaks for itself," said Bobcat head coach Trey Morris. "They finished 9-2 in two tournaments as a pairing, advancing to the finals of two tough events and they beat a top 20 team, and one of the two losses was to that same top 20 team."
Morris said the two have made advancements as a doubles pairing as well as individually. "They've been playing great as a team, and as individuals they've really been showing out as well. Daan has had a very good developing as a player, and as he matures he's playing more aggressively, he's holding the baseline, his legs have gotten stronger, he's developing physically. Matej's come in and really shown us something. From the moment he got here we could see his work ethic, and the results have followed."
After envisioning the two as a strong doubles team over the summer, Morris was pleased that practice court reps led to success. "Reps have a lot to do with it, making sure that when we do any kinds of doubles drill in practice that they're working together and making sure that they communicate well during points is a key. Talking to each other, making sure they know who has what covered is huge."
Van Dijk had success in both singles and doubles play last spring for the Bobcats, while Panik enjoyed similar success at NCAA Division II Hawai'i Pacific, where he began his collegiate career. While Morris said he could tell their games complemented each other, the two roommates said camaraderie and personality also play a role. "We live in the same apartment so we hang out a lot and cook together, do a lot of stuff together, so we've become really good friends," according to Van Dijk. "That's really helped us on the court," Panik said.
While enjoying a common lifestyle, the two complement each other in terms of personality. "He's very intense, I would say," Van Dijk said. "He really wants to win and he's very focused on getting to his goal. He's the hardest worker on the team, he's serving each morning at 6 am when we don't have to. He's really committed and really focused."
Panik and Van Dijk are the first Bobcats to qualify for the ITA Fall Championships doubles competition, Braden Olsen and Marek Gebicki competed in the 2004 NCAA Championships. The two lost their first-round match to Georgia's third-ranked duo of John Isner and Bo Hodge. Isner is ranked 23rd in the world after reaching a high ranking of 8th, with career earnings of over $20 million. Isner and Hodges won 6-4, 6-4 on May 27, 2004, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Montana State's only previous entry into an ITA Fall Tournament was Federico Ueltschi in the 2003 ITA All-American Championships. After winning six matches to advance into the ITA All-American Championships in 2003, he fell to the nation's 10th-ranked player Catalin Gard of Ole Miss. Ueltschi advanced to the round of 32 in the same event one year later, as well.
In Dostanic and Rubell, Bobcats Panik and Van Dijk meet the tournament's eighth-seeded team. The winner of that match advances to the round of 16 to face either Miami's Franco Aubone and Benjamin Hannestad or Charlotte's Stefanos Savva and Coy Simon. The event continues through Sunday
The event is available to follow in a live stats format on the Tennis Ticker app, with video and commentary on Cracked Rackets at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=piSlVyemSsc&feature=youtu.be and via live stream at Track Tennis (full information available on Thursday).
#GoCatsGo
"I'm new here, this is my first semester at MSU," said Hawai'i Pacific transfer Panik, "so this is huge to come out to a new environment, a new space, and basically have success like this. In my first fall season, I didn't expect it, but it's just a beginning." Van Dijk, who joined the Bobcats as a freshman in January, agreed. "It's also my first fall semester," he said, "so to go to Nationals right away is amazing."
The Bobcat tandem becomes the first on record to represent Montana State as a doubles team in the ITA's fall national championship competition, playing at the Barnes Tennis Center at 6:30 pm Thursday (November 4) in a match scheduled for video streaming. Panik and Van Dijk face USC juniors Stefan Dostanic and Samuel Rubell, who won the ITA Southwest Regional Doubles in Malibu in their first competition playing together. They finished the weekend 5-0 in doubles play.
"As a doubles team the recognition they're receiving by getting a bid to Nationals speaks for itself," said Bobcat head coach Trey Morris. "They finished 9-2 in two tournaments as a pairing, advancing to the finals of two tough events and they beat a top 20 team, and one of the two losses was to that same top 20 team."
Morris said the two have made advancements as a doubles pairing as well as individually. "They've been playing great as a team, and as individuals they've really been showing out as well. Daan has had a very good developing as a player, and as he matures he's playing more aggressively, he's holding the baseline, his legs have gotten stronger, he's developing physically. Matej's come in and really shown us something. From the moment he got here we could see his work ethic, and the results have followed."
After envisioning the two as a strong doubles team over the summer, Morris was pleased that practice court reps led to success. "Reps have a lot to do with it, making sure that when we do any kinds of doubles drill in practice that they're working together and making sure that they communicate well during points is a key. Talking to each other, making sure they know who has what covered is huge."
Van Dijk had success in both singles and doubles play last spring for the Bobcats, while Panik enjoyed similar success at NCAA Division II Hawai'i Pacific, where he began his collegiate career. While Morris said he could tell their games complemented each other, the two roommates said camaraderie and personality also play a role. "We live in the same apartment so we hang out a lot and cook together, do a lot of stuff together, so we've become really good friends," according to Van Dijk. "That's really helped us on the court," Panik said.
While enjoying a common lifestyle, the two complement each other in terms of personality. "He's very intense, I would say," Van Dijk said. "He really wants to win and he's very focused on getting to his goal. He's the hardest worker on the team, he's serving each morning at 6 am when we don't have to. He's really committed and really focused."
Panik and Van Dijk are the first Bobcats to qualify for the ITA Fall Championships doubles competition, Braden Olsen and Marek Gebicki competed in the 2004 NCAA Championships. The two lost their first-round match to Georgia's third-ranked duo of John Isner and Bo Hodge. Isner is ranked 23rd in the world after reaching a high ranking of 8th, with career earnings of over $20 million. Isner and Hodges won 6-4, 6-4 on May 27, 2004, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Montana State's only previous entry into an ITA Fall Tournament was Federico Ueltschi in the 2003 ITA All-American Championships. After winning six matches to advance into the ITA All-American Championships in 2003, he fell to the nation's 10th-ranked player Catalin Gard of Ole Miss. Ueltschi advanced to the round of 32 in the same event one year later, as well.
In Dostanic and Rubell, Bobcats Panik and Van Dijk meet the tournament's eighth-seeded team. The winner of that match advances to the round of 16 to face either Miami's Franco Aubone and Benjamin Hannestad or Charlotte's Stefanos Savva and Coy Simon. The event continues through Sunday
The event is available to follow in a live stats format on the Tennis Ticker app, with video and commentary on Cracked Rackets at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=piSlVyemSsc&feature=youtu.be and via live stream at Track Tennis (full information available on Thursday).
#GoCatsGo
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