Gators Take First Conference Road Trip to Vanderbilt
Thursday, March 5, 2015 | Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In their first Southeastern Conference road trip of the season, the No. 11 Florida Gators travel to Nashville, Tenn., to take on No. 14 Vanderbilt on Friday, March 6 at 5 p.m. at the Brownlee O. Currey Jr., Tennis Center.
The Gators leads the all-time series with the Commodores, 38-9-1.
UF kicked off the conference season with a 1-1 weekend, dropping a 4-1 decision to then-No. 7 Georgia and picking up a 4-1 win over a No. 34-ranked South Carolina squad. Junior Diego Hidalgo continues to lead the charge in singles for the Gators and remains undefeated in dual matches in the individual event. The Orange and Blue saw their doubles play come together on Saturday versus the Gamecocks, as No. 2 pairing Maxx Lipman and Elliott Orkin continue to play consistently for the Gators, while No. 47-ranked Hidalgo and Gordon Watson finally found their rhythm at No. 1 and clinched the early point.
Shelton's Notes – Head Coach Bryan Shelton
On the matchup against Vanderbilt…
I certainly remember last year, losing a tough match indoors at their place, so we'll most likely be indoors again. So hopefully we can have a change of results this time around.
On Diego Hidalgo's consistency in singles…
Well, I think you know, confidence is a great thing. There's no better weapon than confidence. Whether you're winning at the six spot or you're winning at the two spot, when you start accumulating wins, you start to forget how to lose. Knock on wood, for Diego, he's found ways to win. He's found a winning formula in how he needs to play to be successful. And I think that's important for any athlete, for any person. If they can find something that works and they can stick with it, they can continue to have success and he's been able to move up the ladder and still find success. He'll certainly be tested this coming Friday night against one of the best players in the country, Gonzales Austin. He's a solid competitor that we've had a tough time with in the past, so I'm looking forward to seeing Diego go to battle with him.
Last Time:
Florida fell to Vanderbilt, 4-3, in the regular season, but the Gators topped the Commodores, 4-2, in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. Sophomores Maxx Lipman and Elliot Orkin shined in the postseason win, clinching the doubles point as a tandem and each picking up singles points for their squad.
Hidalgo en Fuego:
Junior Diego Hidalgo remains undefeated in dual match singles through nine matches played. He made his debut at No. 1 singles in the line-up against No. 7 Georgia.
Family Affair:
Sophomore Maxx Lipman's older brother Ryan Lipman is a Vanderbilt men's tennis alum and currently serves as a Volunteer Assistant Coach for his former squad. The Lipmans hail from Tennessee.
#11 Florida (6-3, 1-1) at #14 Vanderbilt (10-3, 1-1)
Friday, March 6 at 5 p.m.
Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center, Nashville, Tenn.
Live Stats: http://www.vucommodores.com/livestats/m-tennis/xlive.htm
Notes: http://www.gatorzone.com/tennis/men/stats/notes/pre/20150306170000.pdf
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