With their last days in Gator uniforms quickly approaching, seniors Mike Alford and Florent Diep hope to meet the high expectations their teammates and coach have set for them.
In Alford’s first three years in Gainesville, he has gone 36-19 in tournament singles matches. Younger players like Elliot Orkin and Maxx Lipmann go to Alford for help with issues on and off the court.
“Mike is the All-American guy” coach Bryan Shelton said. “We talk about our core values, talk about passion, excellence, teamwork, commitment and all the things that make special student-athletes.
“And, this guy, he’s got it all. And that’s rare; it’s rare for a guy to bring all of them to the table, but he does. I appreciate what Mike brings to this team.”
Diep has a 49-32 record in singles the past two seasons. The experienced senior has led the way for his team this season.
“When I came in, we wanted to try to set the standard here at the University of Florida to be the program that is the model program for all other programs,” Shelton said. “That’s one of the things we are shooting for here.
“We’re not there yet, but we’re working at it, and Flo is helping us get there because he sets a standard. He sets the standard for doing the little things that it takes to have real success — success that will last. Not just a week, not just a season but a lifetime.”
After a four-day break from competition, the Gators will play in their first match of the Southeastern Conference Tournament against No. 13 seed LSU at Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center tonight at 7.
“Our guys earned the first-round byes; going 8-4 in the SEC is not easy,” Shelton said. “One of our goals this season was to win the SEC Tournament. So, for us, we’re excited to go into the tournament.”
Florida defeated LSU in Baton Rouge, La., 4-0 on March 30. Diep won his match in straight sets that day, while Alford’s match went unfinished.
“The conference is always tough” Shelton added, “but at the same time, we feel like we can beat anyone in the conference.”
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Mike Alford returns a ball during Florida’s 4-2 win against North Florida on Jan. 22 at the Ring Tennis Complex.
