Not only is Florida turning up the heat but so are the Gators.
After dropping back-to-back matches against Ohio State and Vanderbilt, the Gators are now on a two-game win streak after defeating Mississippi State 4-1 on Friday and Alabama 4-2 on Sunday at the Ring Tennis Complex.
Florida’s doubles duo Oliver Landert and Joshua Wardell brought in the doubles point for the Gators (8-5, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) after defeating Alabama’s Danny Kerznerman and Nikko Madregallejo 6-4 on the No.3 court.
“They’re putting a lot of pressure on their opponents with their ability to return solid, make them play a lot of balls, looking to get forward and really they have formed quite a wall at the net,” coach Bryan Shelton said. “I feel like we have a lot of confidence in them right now as a team. I feel like under pressure they are going to put their best foot forward and play their best tennis and that’s what you want.”
No. 99 Elliot Orkin brought in the first singles point for the Gators, defeating Kerznerman on the No. 3 court in straight sets (6-0, 6-0).
Florida scored its third straight point after Gordon Watson won in straight sets on Court 4, but Alabama (12-10, 2-3 SEC) closed the gap to 3-2 by winning on Courts 2 and 6.
But with the game getting decisively close, freshman Chase Perez-Blanco finished the job.
The 5-foot-8 Perez-Blanco started off his first set on a low note against Alabama’s Stuart Kenyon and was the last of the singles to finish its first set.
But Perez-Blanco wasn’t ready to lose his first Southeastern Conference singles match.
“I switched the game plan a little bit,” Perez-Blanco said. “I started off a little slow and I wasn’t really making my shots or moving really well and coach told me to focus in and find my rhythm and that’s what I did and it worked out.”
The Miami native came back to win eight-straight points while only allowing one point the rest of the match.
“I think as he gets more matches under his belt some of that anxiety will go away and I think we will see him come out there and get a better start. But its not the most important thing, it’s how you finish and he’s finishing well for us right now.” Shelton said.
In clinching the singles point, Perez-Blanco brought in his fourth singles victory in the SEC.
“I try not to think too much about the record or anything, I like to take one match at a time and just to focus on the matches ahead,” Perez-Blanco said.
And the team plans on doing just that — look forward to its next match.
The Gators now stand at 3-2 in the SEC with only a month to go before the SEC tournament.
Florida hits the road next Friday against No. 57 Arkansas at 3 p.m. and will also be on the road for its next two matches against No. 13 Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, and Auburn, Alabama .
The No.18 team will not return to Ring Tennis Complex till April 3 against LSU.
Follow Caylee Underwood on Twitter @CayUnderwood
Chase Perez-Blanco hits the ball during Florida's 4-2 win against Alabama on Friday at the Ring Tennis Complex.
