March 23, 2017
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 41st-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team continues Southeastern Conference play this weekend, facing No. 26 South Carolina Friday at 5 p.m. and No. 12 Florida Sunday at noon.
The ‘Dores hit the road searching for their second conference win after downing Tennessee 4-3 during the first weekend of league play. Last week, VU fell 5-2 to No. 21 Mississippi State in a Tuesday night tilt. On Saturday, Vandy split a doubleheader, falling 4-3 to Auburn and sweeping Illinois State.
Lachlan McPhee and Billy Rowe made their Oracle/ITA doubles debut as a team, coming in at No. 39 in the nation. Playing predominately on court one, the duo has defeated two ranked opponents and nearly downed Auburn’s ninth-ranked team last weekend in a 7-5 contest.
Scouting South Carolina:
Heading into the weekend, South Carolina owns a 14-4 (3-2) record. The 26th-ranked squad went undefeated last weekend, picking up two 4-3 wins on the road over Arkansas and Ole Miss.
The Gamecocks boast two ranked singles players and one ranked doubles team. Harrison O’Keefe appears in both polls, ranked 88th individually and 47th alongside Yancy Dennis in doubles. Gabriel Friedrich follows the junior in the singles rankings at No. 59.
Last season, SC defeated VU 5-2 inside the Currey Tennis Center.
Gauging the Gators:
Ranked No. 12 in the country, Florida carries an 11-6 (4-1) record into the weekend. The Gators’ lone league loss came in the squad’s conference opener against Texas A&M, 4-3. UF went undefeated last weekend, most recently pulling off a 4-3 victory on the road against No. 46 Arkansas.
Alfredo Perez leads Florida and the SEC in the latest Oracle/ITA singles poll, coming in at No 7. Elliott Orkin and McClain Kessler follow the sophomore at No. 106 and No. 117, respectively. Johannes Ingildsen joins Perez in doubles, as the duo leads the league ranked No. 6 in the country.
Vanderbilt fell 5-2 in its last competition against Florida.