UF Preps for Regular-Season Home Finale with Texas A&M
Saturday, April 4, 2015 | Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In their final regular-season appearance at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex, the No. 16 Florida Gators will host the No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies on Sunday, April 5 at noon. Senior Richard Brej will be honored 10 minutes prior to the start of doubles.
The Gators look to close the gap as they trail 3-5 in the all-time series with the Aggies.
UF opened their final home weekend with a 4-2 victory over No. 25 LSU Friday evening. The Orange and Blue captured the doubles point for the first time in their last three matches. Sophomore Elliott Orkin clinched his second match of the season with a three-set victory over the Tigers' No. 2 singles player, Chris Simpson. Both Orkin and junior Gordon Watson helped the Gators to victory with wins in doubles and singles competition. Freshman Chase Perez-Blanco remains undefeated in SEC singles, as he notched another singles point Friday, his fourth in the Gators' last five wins.
Shelton's Notes – Head Coach Bryan Shelton
On starting the weekend with a win against LSU in preparation for Texas A&M…
It's huge. It feels to me as a coach and I'm sure for them as players, to get the first one gives us a little momentum for Sunday's match. We know how good Texas A&M is. We saw them in the finals of the SEC Tournament last year and lost a tough match to those guys. They've got a couple more additions to their team and they're very, very tough. But it's a great opportunity for us. I feel like our guys will come out and we'll fire away and get after it.
Last Time:
Florida dropped both meetings with Texas A&M last season, recording a regular-season loss and falling to the Aggies in the SEC Tournament final.
Leading the Way:
Chase Perez-Blanco and Elliott Orkin lead UF with six SEC singles wins apiece. Perez-Blanco remains undefeated in conference singles.
Winning Trend for Watson:
Gordon Watson has become a major contributor for the Gators as of late and has posted a singles point in three of UF's last four victories.
PROMOTIONS:
Rowdy Reptile Check-In and Prize Pickup – Students who check in on their smartphone or at the Rowdy Reptile table from 12-2 PM receive four points toward their Rowdy Reptile Rewards. Students can also redeem their points for prizes at prize pick up
Senior Day – Arrive early as we honor senior Richard Brej prior to the start of the match
T-Shirt Giveaway – The first 150 fans receive a FREE Florida Tennis t-shirt
Selfie Sunday – Snap a selfie at the match and tweet it with the hashtag #GameSetMatchUF for a chance to win a Florida Tennis Prize Pack
#16 Florida (11-6, 6-3) vs. #8 Texas A&M (16-3, 9-1)
Sunday, April 5 at 12 p.m.
Scott Linder Stadium at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex, Gainesville, Fla.
Live Stats: http://www.gatorzone.com/tennis/live/?sport=tennm&live_match=12405
Notes: http://www.gatorzone.com/tennis/men/stats/notes/pre/20150405120000.pdf
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