Ranked No. 9 in the country, the men’s tennis team heads into the spring season with one goal in mind: winning an NCAA Championship.
The team’s first test is this weekend as the Gators head to Knoxville, Tenn., to take part in the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships.
“It’s a great way to start the season against five of the top 20 teams in the country and quite a few other teams that will make the NCAA (Tournament),” coach Andy Jackson said.
Jackson’s team returns five of the top seven players from last season, including the No. 4 player in the country in senior Alexandre Lacroix.
Lacroix went 14-2 in singles action in the fall, reaching the semifinals at the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships and the quarterfinals in the ITA All-American Championships.
“Alex is one of the guys that should be looked at as a favorite to win the NCAA,” Jackson said. “I think he’s one of the best guys in the country. Frankly, I think he’s going to be the best guy in the country.”
As the lone senior on the team, Lacroix has assumed a strong leadership role and is the backbone of the team.
Sophomores Sekou Bangoura Jr. and Bob van Overbeek will be counted on to play in the No. 2 and No. 3 roles this spring. After strong fall performances, they are ranked No. 28 and No. 52, respectively.
“I would like to see them be two of the best 10,” Jackson said.
One reason for optimism is the emergence of a strong freshman class.
Andrew Butz and Michael Alford enjoyed plenty of success in doubles, posting a 10-4 record together. Butz showed his talent in singles action as well, reaching the quarterfinals at the ITA Southeastern Regional Championships.
The team also added a high-profile freshman this spring in Spencer Newman, rated a blue-chip, five-star prospect by tennisrecruiting.net.
Newman is an elite player who has been injured over the past 16 months, but Jackson said he has a chance to contribute if healthy.
Jackson has continued to select a challenging nonconference schedule, including matches against No. 7 Baylor and No. 2 Southern California, in addition to the Gators’ tough SEC slate, so his team gets a taste of what it takes to face national championship-level competition.
“Tennis is about trying to get your team tougher and build a body of work for a seed at the end of the year,” Jackson said. “We feel like, playing in the SEC, we start out with an extremely tough schedule.”
