MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama men's tennis team announced its 2019 spring schedule on Thursday.
With a 25-match schedule that includes a full Sun Belt Conference slate for the first time, Head Coach Nick Brochu is excited for the opportunity to showcase his team and players to the country.
Brochu said, "We have a competitive schedule again this year. It's a schedule that will allow us to climb the National ranking. It will also give our top players many opportunities to face ranked opponents and earn a singles or doubles national ranking. Loïc and Clement have already piled up good wins in the fall. They will face many good teams to increase their chance to qualify for the NCAA's."
The Jaguars open up the spring at the Florida State invitational in Tallahassee, Fla., with a Jan. 18 matchup against Florida State and a two-match day vs. Florida A&M on Jan. 19. The Jags then head out to Los Angeles, Calif., for the ITA Kickoff Weekend to face off against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 26 and Southern California on Jan 27.
"The guys are really excited about the ITA kickoff where we go to Southern Cal for two big matches," Brochu said. "With the addition of FSU during the second week of school, January is a very important month for us. It could set the tone for the entire year."
After the ITA kickoff, South returns to Bruce David Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts for its first home match of the year on Feb. 2. The Jags will take on Xavier (La.) in Mobile before hitting the road on Feb. 9 for four-straight matches. South will take on UAB and Samford on the 9th in Birmingham at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. respectively, then head to Murfreesboro, Tenn., for matches against Belmont and Middle Tennessee State on Jan. 16 and 17.
The Jags then return home for four-straight, playing host to Jackson State on Feb. 20, Florida Atlantic on Feb. 24, New Orleans on Feb. 26, and Virginia Commonwealth on March 6.
Before conference play begins South hits the road again for four matches, begging with a trip to Texas on March 10 for a match vs. Lamar. The Jags then make their way to Florida for a March 15 matchup against South Florida, a March 16 tilt vs. North Florida, and round out the trip against Central Florida on March 18.
Once the Florida swing wraps up, South returns home to begin Sun Belt Conference play. Brochu had this to say about the conference, "This year will be the first time we play a full conference schedule. It will be great to face each SBC team before the tournament in April. I believe it will make the tournament a lot more competitive and exciting!"
Sun Belt action opens up on March 23 with four consecutive matches at Bruce David Lubel Memorial. The Jags face Appalachian State on the 23rd, Coastal Carolina on March 24, Georgia Southern on March 30, and Georgia State on March 31.
The Jags hit the road for their lone-two away matches in Sun Belt competition with an April 5 tilt against Louisiana-Lafayette and a meeting with Texas-Arlington on April 7.
South then returns home to round out the regular season with a match against Troy on April 13.
The Sun Belt Championships will take place from April 19-21 in Atlanta, Ga., with the first set of NCAA regionals slated for May 10-11.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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