MOBILE, Ala. - With two home wins under their belt, the University of South Alabama men’s tennis team will travel to Florida for two matches over Spring Break.
The Jaguars, ranked No. 58 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, will play at South Florida on Monday at 11 a.m. CDT and North Florida on Tuesday at 1 p.m. CDT.
“The two teams we are going to play over Spring Break are at a higher level than the last two matches we have played,” said USA head coach Nick Brochu.“We’re going to have to step it up.”
The Jags have won two straight for the third time this season and will be going for their first three-match win strreak Monday against the Bulls.
Strong singles play has been the drive behind South Alabama’s recent winning ways. The team is a combined 10-2 over the last two matches, with captains senior Alex Bernard (Soisy Sur Seine, France) and sophomore Daniel Leitner (Niederfischbach, Germany) compiling a 4-0 mark at the top two spots. In the spring, the Jaguars‘ are 47-35 for a .573 win percentage.
South Florida enters Monday’s clash with a 5-5 record, after topping the University of Pennsylvania 5-2 on Friday. The Bulls’ duo of Oliver Pramming and Ignacio Gonzalez-Muniz are ranked No. 56 in the nation.
USA leads the all-time series with USF 8-6. The two teams faced off last season when South Alabama pulled out a 4-3 win over South Florida.
“South Florida has a lot baseliners,” said Brochu. “Last year we went down there and played really aggressive and came up with a big 4-3 win. They’re a dangerous team and they always have top quality players, so it’s definitely going to be a fight.”
North Florida opened the season ranked No. 63 by the ITA but has lost six matches to opponents ranked in the top 65. The Ospreys currently possess a three-match win steak, including a 5-2 victory over 54th-ranked Miami.
Monday will mark the sixth-ever meeting between UNF and USA. North Florida has won the past two matches 4-3 in 2008 and 2012.
“We played North Florida last year and thought we had the match, but they came out at the end and snuck one up on us and we lost 4-3,” said Brochu. “They’re a young, talented team and we’re going to have to be ready.”
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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