TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler tennis is on their way to Lawrenceville, Georgia for their first of four matches in four consecutive days as the Patriots celebrate spring break with a big road trip.
On Monday, both programs will face off against Georgia Gwinnett for a noon match. On Tuesday, they will meet Saint Leo in Saint Leo, Florida for the first of three consecutive matches in the state of Florida. Wednesday will see the Patriots square off against Rollins, and on Thursday the two teams will meet Ferris State to conclude their spring break trip out east.
THE SEASON SO FAR
The Patriots men's tennis program currently sits at number 20 in the country and currently have a 2-3 record on the season. The Patriots men started their year with a big 7-0 win over a top Division III program in Southwestern. After dropping a match to Division I foe UT Arlington, they responded with a victory over RV Harding by a score of 4-3. Since that match against the Bisons, UT Tyler has dropped a pair of close matches against Southeastern Oklahoma State and RV Southwest Baptist.
For the women's tennis program, they have run out a 4-2 record in the early going. A close 4-3 win over Southwestern got the season going, but they dropped a match against #3 Central Oklahoma following that match. Against RV Harding, the Patriots bounced back with a big 4-3 victory, and followed that up with another win over Southeastern Oklahoma State. After a dropped match against Division I foe Stephen F. Austin, UT Tyler got another big win with a 4-3 victory over #21 Southwest Baptist.
SCOUTING REPORT
Neither program has ever played either of the four opponents on this week's slate, but all four opponents will provide a strong test as we inch closer to the conference slate.
Georgia Gwinnett's men and women are both undefeated in the early part of the season. The men's program for the Grizzlies is 12-0, and that includes victories over four nationally ranked opponents.
The Grizzlies women are 9-0 on the year, and that record features four wins over ranked opponents, including victories over the number six and eleven ranked opponents in their last two matches.
Saint Leo is ranked number eight on the women's side and number nine on the men's side. The men's program at Saint Leo is 7-2 on the year, and have two victories over nationally ranked opponents. One of those is Auburn Montgomery, who the Patriots will face next week.
The Saint Leo women's program sits at 6-0 on the year, and has one victory over a ranked opponent. That win also came against Auburn Montgomery, and the program also has a win over RV Tampa.
For Rollins, the men's program is 4-3 on the year, and they have four strong wins by at least three points, including a 7-0 win and a 6-1 win. In their only match against a ranked opponent, the Tars dropped a contest against #5 Barry by a score of 1-6.
On the ladies side, the Tars sit at a record of 5-4. The four losses include two to Division I programs, and number 1 ranked Barry. However, Rollins is on a hot streak, winning their last five matches, and their last two wins have come by scores of 7-0.
Ferris State's men's program sits at a record of 6-0, and their opponents have yet to score three points in any of their matches. The Bulldogs have come away with four matches without allowing a point.
For the Ferris State women's program, they sit at a record of 3-2. They are also on a hot streak, winners of their last two contests by scores of 4-3 and 5-2.
ON THE HORIZON
Following the marathon road trip, both Patriots programs will get a full week to rest before hosting Auburn Montgomery on March 18. Those matches for UT Tyler will be their first at the Summers Tennis Center on the campus of UT Tyler and they are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
That match will be the final non-conference matchup for both programs as they will both travel to Cameron on March 25 and UAFS on March 26 for their first LSC matches of the season.
