After falling in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season to Denver, Florida has entered this year’s postseason with a reformed attitude and a strong will to win the national title.
“We know too well, after last year losing to Denver in the First Round, we know we can’t overlook anyone,” coach Bryan Shelton said. “We’re just going to have to continue to prepare and get ready, but we’re excited for this opportunity.”
The Gators hosted the first two rounds of the tournament over the weekend, and they displayed a strong showing for their home crowd. Florida defeated visiting St. Johns in a 4-0 sweep Saturday. On Sunday, the team took on USF and also walked away with a 4-0 sweep.
“I was really proud of our guys though,” Shelton said. “I felt like we prepared well for today (Saturday). After exams ended, the guys were focused on tennis and did a good job of making sure they were ready for today.”
Freshman Elliott Orkin, ranked No. 98 in singles, defeated Robert Livi (SJU) 6-4, 6-2 to clinch the win for the Gators in a match that lasted just more than one hour.
“A year ago, we lost to Denver in the first round, so it feels good to come out here and get a decisive win, 4-0 against a very good St. John’s team,” Shelton said. “Proud of our guys – they came out and played good doubles. We were able to establish some momentum in the singles and then finish it off thanks to Elliott Orkin.”
Senior Florent Diep has also shown improvement throughout the postseason run. Diep clinched the match against USF on Sunday.
“I knew it was my last home match, and I was really excited about it,” Diep said. “The first two sets were kind of frustrating for me. I didn’t feel great, but I kept fighting and I was having fun even though I was a little frustrated. … I was feeling great in the third set, and I told Mark (Merklein) I was ready for another one.”
Diep was also named the ITA Southeast Senior of the Year on Tuesday.
The Gators will enter the NCAA Round of 16 on Friday in Athens, Ga., where they will face the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes at 7 p.m.
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Florent Diep swings at the ball during Florida’s 4-2 win against TCU on Jan. 26 at the Ring Tennis Complex.
