Senior Bob van Overbeek is returning to form near the end of a rough 2013 season.
After a 46-day stretch without winning a singles match, van Overbeek experienced victory again with a 6-3, 7-5 win against Alabama’s Becker O’Shaughnessey on March 22. But his losing woes continued two days later in a 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 loss to Auburn’s Lukas Ollert.
Coach Bryan Shelton benched van Overbeek for the next two matches, and the move paid off.
Since returning to Florida’s singles lineup against Ole Miss on April 5, van Overbeek has not dropped a set in singles play.
He looks to continue his run today when No. 17 UF (11-9, 5-5 Southeastern Conference) hosts Bethune-Cookman (12-12) at 1:30 p.m. at Linder Stadium.
“All athletes go through [rough stretches] from time to time where you lose a little bit of confidence,” Shelton said of van Overbeek’s slump. “He has the weapons, he has the game, and he matches up well against anyone in the country.”
The senior boasts a career singles record of 81-50 and began the fall season ranked No. 17 in the ITA Individual Rankings. A 7-10 record in UF’s spring matches dropped him to 117th on the ITA’s latest list, which was released on March 26.
To combat his losing streak, Shelton moved van Overbeek down to the No. 3 position, and the change has worked in his favor.
When van Overbeek snapped his losing streak against the Crimson Tide, he did so from the No. 3 spot in the Gators’ lineup.
Shelton demoted the senior from Florida’s top spot so he could build confidence against weaker opponents.
“Obviously there is no substitute for winning,” Shelton said.
“He puts in the extra work every single day. He isn’t waiting around to see if he is going to get better. He is trying to make it happen through hard work.”
Despite a disappointing final season at UF, van Overbeek has time left for redemption. The Gators have three more regular-season matches and the SEC Tournament on their schedule.
“Hard work all pays off in the end,” Shelton said. “Eventually, if you continue putting in the work, you’ll reap the rewards from the work that you put in.”
Florida senior Bob van Overbeek returns a volley last season. Van Overbeek was demoted to No. 3 singles during his losing streak.
