A bit of a rough week for Rebel netters, as the women fell on Friday hosting South Carolina in a close match and then again on Sunday on the road against Florida in a blow-out. Click that second link for a recap of the Florida match featuring a high-pixel close-up of total hottie Connor Vogel. Meanwhile, the men hosted just one weekend match-up against #6 Florida, which they lost 4-3. It was a soul-crushing defeat that I would rather not talk about, but will, nevertheless, after the break.
This weekend, the men travel to #2 Tennessee and #8 Georgia, while the women host those schools female counterparts at the Chad Pad.
Leadin' that West, son!
The good news is that despite those losses, both the men and women lead their respective SEC West races. Them girls are sporting a 3-3 conference record, while the men have a 4-2 record and a two-game lead over LSU (whom they've already beaten) and Auburn (whom they have yet to play). Tennessee and Georgia are both extremely competitive for both men and women, so more losses might be yet to come this weekend.
Speaking of that Heartbreaker
Props go out to Harry Fowler and Adrian Forberg Skogeng, who won their matches in straight sets this weekend. Adrian fought tooth and nail to get a 7-6 (11) first set win, which put the wind back in our sails. Meanwhile, Tucker Vorster played like a champ against one of the top players in the country, Alex Lacroix, but fell 6-4, 6-4. Chris Thiemann got his first loss in SEC play. Nevertheless, at 5 and 6, Florida had gone 25-2. We beat them on both of those courts, which is a real testament to our depth.
Scouting Tennessee and Georgia
The Vols and Dawgs are each 6-0 in league play. Just like against Florida, Ole Miss is going to live and die by the doubles point. With a win at doubles, the Rebels can feel pretty comfortable about getting two wins between 4, 5, and 6 courts. That leaves us needing only a win at 1, 2, or 3. Either Tucker or Marcel (whoever plays #1 this weekend) will likely have a tough time against strong 1's from Tennessee (John Patrick Smith) and Georgia (Javier Garrapiz). But, we'll have a fighting chance, if we can take the doubles point.