The No. 2 Gators men’s tennis team is going on the road again after a brief two game homestand.
Florida will head to Alabama this weekend for a series against Alabama and Auburn. The match versus the Crimson Tide will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Alabama Tennis Stadium in Tuscaloosa, while the duel with the Tigers begins on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Alabama.
Last weekend, Florida defeated LSU 5-2 on Friday night and Texas A&M on Sunday 5-2 at home. The win against the Aggies was arguably the Gators most important of the season so far. Then-No. 7 Texas A&M entered the match undefeated in SEC play and had won 14 in a row and 21 consecutively in the SEC. The win put the Gators on the fast track to an SEC regular-season title, and the Gators can clinch it this weekend.
Wins against the Crimson Tide and Tigers would clinch the crown. This is because the Gators have a one-game lead on the Aggies own the tiebreaker on the Aggies. Even with a loss to South Carolina, Florida’s opponent on April 14, it would still win the trophy.
Florida also received a major accolade this week as junior Johannes Ingildsen was named SEC Athlete of the Week. It was the first time he has won this award. Ingildsen is 7-2 in singles in SEC play this season.
Ingildsen said he is happy to win the award, but his mentality will still be the same.
“It feels great. I mean it’s the first time I have gotten it, and I felt like there was a few times the last two years I should have gotten it,” Ingildsen said. “It’s something that gives me motivation, but it’s not like I have had it as a huge goal.”
No. 26 Alabama will be the tougher outing for UF. Alabama comes in with a record of 13-8 and 3-6 in SEC play. Despite this record, the Crimson Tide have beaten some quality opponents including Michigan, LSU and Vanderbilt, all of whom were ranked in the top 30 nationally. It has one singles player who is ranked, No. 48 Mazen Osama. He is 14-11 on the season.
Freshman Sam Riffice knows playing Alabama won’t be an easy task.
“The season is not over, it’s not near over,” Riffice said. “I mean, Alabama is a really good team. They are top 30, and we just need to be really tough and go into the match with the same mindset.”
The Gators’ opponent on Sunday, Auburn, will be an easier test. The Tigers enter the match 0-9 in SEC play and are the last winless team in the SEC.
Their last three losses have come against top-30 teams, though. Auburn doesn’t have any ranked players for singles or doubles, but its leader is Jim Dollman, who is 9-8 in singles this season.
Riffice said the team can still improve over the next three matches, despite the fantastic season they have had.
“We’ve struggled a little bit with doubles, especially recently,” he said. “But we’ve been putting in a lot of work, so I know we’ll improve.”
Follow Noah Ram on Twitter @Noah_ram1 and contact him at nram@alligator.org.
Junior Johannes Ingildsen was named SEC Athlete of the Week for the first time in his career. Ingildsen is 7-2 in singles in SEC play this season.
Noah is a third year journalism-sports and media student from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He has been with The Alligator since Spring 2019 and has covered men’s and women’s tennis, gymnastics and volleyball. When he isn’t on his beat, Noah is usually sadden over his beloved South Florida sports teams, such as the Heat and Dolphins.
