Success is no stranger to Elliott Orkin.
Some players look to win their conference, but Orkin's sights are higher — he thinks that Florida can make it to Athens, Ga., to compete for a national championship.
The 5-foot-7 freshman is no stranger to the game. As a five-star recruit out of Marietta, Ga., Orkin finished his junior tennis career with a 71-22 record and won the junior USTA Regional Tournament in Norcross, Ga.
Orkin had his eyes set on UF throughout high school.
"During my visit, I got to know the team pretty well," he said. "I knew it was going be a great fit, right away."
Despite being the shortest player on his team, Orkin has already began making his mark on Florida tennis. He developed strategies to help him overcome his disadvantages.
“I wasn’t going to be able to win by hitting huge serves and destroying people off the court,” he said. “So, I would have to hit a bigger ball. Over the years I’ve found ways to do that and beat players that are bigger than me.”
The freshman made his college debut at the Southeastern Conference Fall Classic where he defeated Arkansas' Manfred Jeske 7-6, 6-1. He advanced all the way to the consolation finals, which wasn’t played due to conflict with the team’s flight.
On the doubles court, Orkin teamed up with sophomore Gordon Watson. The duo advanced all the way to the third round before they were defeated in a hard-fought 8-5 decision.
Orkin and the Gators will begin the spring dual-match season on Wednesday against North Florida at Linder Stadium.
Follow Britnee McCoy on Twitter @TheReporterGirl
