LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The No. 54 University of Kentucky men?s tennis team starts its conference ledger this weekend at Boone Tennis Complex when it hosts No. 57 South Carolina Friday at 4 pm ET followed on Sunday with a 1:00 pm ET match-up with No. 11 Florida.
The Wildcats are looking to bounce back after a loss at No. 9 Baylor last week. All 12 SEC teams begin play this weekend with each ranked in the top-63 in the country.
The match-up with South Carolina pits two coaches on the top-10 of the NCAA?s Division I All-Time Active Coaches Win List. UK coach Dennis Emery ranks tenth in the nation while Gamecock coach Kent DeMars is a notch ahead in ninth. Both gentlemen have compiled over 500 victories at tennis? top collegiate level.
The Gamecocks come to Lexington with a 7-2 record after a 5-2 loss at No. 36 Georgia Tech. South Carolina?s other loss was also on the road at No. 17 Wake Forest earlier this season. Carolina boasts one ranked doubles tandem of Yevgeny Supeko and Diego Cubas in the No. 58 slot. None of the Gamecocks are ranked in singles but sophomore Pedro Campos comes in with an 8-1 dual match record.
A coaching connection exists between Kentucky and Florida as well. Gator head coach Andy Jackson played at Kentucky during the first years of Emery?s tenure at the helm of the Wildcat tennis team.
The 5-3 Gators will visit the Bluegrass after a match Friday at No. 30 Vanderbilt. Florida is coming off of a 4-3 home loss to No. 22 Pepperdine Monday. The Gators are led in singles by senior Greg Ouellette ranked No. 6 and freshman Alex Lacroix at No. 58. Many of the Gators have already played at Boone during the Fluitt Invitational and Southeast Region Indoor tournaments last fall.
The SEC foes share two common opponents this season with both squads losing to Miami and Baylor in non-conference matches.
Weather-permitting, matches may be played outdoors at the Boone Tennis Complex. Live stats will be available for Sunday?s contest against the Gators. A full recap of each match will be available on UKathletics.com.
