After a perfect weekend at Ring Tennis Complex against Mississippi State and Alabama, the Florida men’s tennis team hits the road for its next three matches.
First stop, Arkansas.
In UF’s 2013-2014 season, the team dropped its match against Arkansas 3-4 but returning player Elliott Orkin is confident that last year’s match will have little to do with the teams performance on Friday.
"It’s completely a different team on our side and on their side," Orkin said, "but we’re definitely looking to get revenge from last year."
Orkin and his doubles partner Maxx Lipman lead the team in conference doubles action with a 3-1 record.
The No. 15 Gators (8-5, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) have clinched the doubles point in their last two matches and are 6-1 when winning the early tally.
The Razorbacks (11-7, 1-3 SEC) return just one player from its 2013-2014 season, but the Gators were able to get a glimpse of Arkansas players in the SEC Fall Classic that UF hosted earlier this year.
"We got to see how most of those guys play," coach Bryan Shelton said. "So, we have some ideas on styles, strengths, weaknesses, but obviously things can change over four, five-month period. We’ll go in with a solid game plan and be well prepared and so much of it is what we do our side of the net."
Shelton takes most of the heat from last year’s performance, admitting that he doesn’t feel that he prepared the team well enough in last season’s matchup with the Razorbacks.
But the third-year coach isn’t going to let the same mistake happen twice.
"This year I feel totally different," Shelton said. "I also think when you have a loss somewhere it can propel you forward and last year when we lost there it kinda hit the ignition switch for us right afterward."
Florida doesn’t plan on losing this upcoming weekend.
"I feel they certainly have our respect and we’ve got to go in there and play really good tennis to be successful and I think we’re ready to do that," Shelton said.
Shelton isn’t the only one confident that the team will be prepared for the weekend matchups.
Orkin said that if the team brings confidence and play well, they will have no problem coming out of the traveling weekend happy.
"I can speak for out team and know that lines one through three in doubles and lines one through six in singles will bring the energy," Orkin said. "We’re a gritty team and we’re going to compete in every single line. We can’t guarantee a win but we’re going to do everything possible to get it."
Follow Caylee Underwood on Twitter @CayUnderwood
Coach Bryan Shelton talks with sophomores Elliott Orkin and Maxx Lipman during Florida's 9-3 win against William & Mary on Jan. 10 at the Ring Tennis Complex.
