MOBILE, Ala. – Holders of a four-match winning streak, the University of South Alabama men’s tennis team will travel to Florida for three matches over Spring Break.

The Jaguars, ranked No. 42 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, will play at North Florida on Monday, Jacksonville on Wednesday and South Florida on Thursday.

“The guys are excited about this trip,” said USA head coach Nick Brochu. “We have had a great first half of the season, earning a national ranking and breaking the top 50, which was one of our main season goals. The guys are playing great and our team chemistry is strong.

“The second half of the season may be tougher for the guys. Now that we have earned a great ranking, we must maintain this level day in and day out. We must work harder and keep pushing each other.”

The Jags’ four-match run is the team’s second of the season and includes wins over two ranked opponents. USA’s 8-3 record is the best in the Sun Belt this season.

Strong doubles play has been the impetus behind South Alabama’s recent winning ways. The team is a combined 10-1 over the last four matches, with seniors Hanno Bartsch (Pretoria, South Africa) and Christian Kuehne (Morbach, Germany) compiling a 4-0 mark at No. 2. In the spring, the Jaguars’ doubles teams are 24-11 for a .686 win percentage.

North Florida enters Monday’s clash with a 7-4 record and has won two straight, thanks to a 7-0 blanking of Troy on Saturday. The Ospreys are led by Moritz Buerchner, who has a 7-4 record at No. 1 singles and an 8-2 mark in doubles, including a perfect 5-0 mark with Pedro Davisson.

Jacksonville has lost four straight entering its match Sunday with Troy, but has picked up wins over Bethune-Cookman and Hampton.

The Jaguars’ opponent on Thursday, South Florida, opened the season ranked No. 46 by the ITA but lost its first six matches of the year, all to top 65 opponents. Since then, the Bulls have won three of their last five outings, with two straight wins over Penn and Penn State to close last week.

“We need to stay focused and go one match at a time,” said Brochu. “We have three good matches this week. UNF has been in and out of the rankings and USF has had an excellent tennis program for the past 20 years. They have reached the NCAAs almost every year. We’re looking forward to the challenge this week.”

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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