DES MOINES, Iowa -- Drake men's tennis Vinny Gillespie received an invitation to compete at the 2017 Oracle ITA Masters and will make his second-straight appearance at the prestigious event. The double elimination 32-player draw will take place on Sept. 21-24 in Malibu, Calif.
 
"I am thrilled to once again be invited to participate in one country's best collegiate tennis event. I'm really excited to get the opportunity to play some of the best players in the country and hoping I can build on last year's experience to put together a good run in Malibu," said Gillespie.
 
Gillespie was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and finished the season ranked 90th in the final ITA rankings. He posted an 18-4 dual-match record at No. 1 singles. To go along with his All-MVC honor, Gillespie was named MVC Athlete of the Week five times.
 
"This is fabulous for Vinny and also for the Drake tennis program. This is a national event and Drake wants to be represented and compete on the national stage. Vinny had an outstanding sophomore season winning over 20 matches in the top spot of our line-up. He has worked exceptionally hard during his time at Drake and will be ready to get off to a great start to his third year as a Bulldog," said Drake head coach Davidson Kozlowski.