The South Carolina men's and women's tennis teams both started their seasons at full speed and dominated their season openers.
This past Saturday was a strong day for the women's team as they defeated Denver and Kansas in doubles earning a No.15 spot.
Head coach Kevin Epley was pleased with his team's performance regarding both singles and doubles on Saturday, even though they faced non-conference opponents.
“We got a good taste of what's to come this season and the team rose to the occasion,” Epley said. “Hopefully we can keep improving throughout the weekend.”
His team stayed determined as they collectively improved their abilities on Sunday at FGCU. Paige Cline and Rachel Rohrabacher were able to overcame their Day One defeat by dominating against their opponents in the first two sets on Sunday.
Not only did the team improve throughout the weekend like Epley had hoped for, freshmen players also made their presence known. Kennedy Wicker earned her first win of the 2018 spring campaign, improving to 4-3.
“It was great to see some of those adjustments some of us made Sunday in singles,” Epley said. “Overall, our level was better than Saturday at some key spots, so we are optimistic going into the final day.”
The FGCU Spring Invite came to a close Monday, with the Gamecocks winning five out of eight matches. Epley said his team had some inconsistent results, but he is confident that his team will get back to where they need to be.
The men’s team found the same kind of success as they started their season on Saturday with a doubleheader win over The Citadel.
“I was surprised at how well the guys were able to accomplish our goals,” said head coach Josh Goffi. “There were some very basic things, a run through of pre-match routines, getting guys mentally ready. Most of the team was sharp; some guys weren’t in the first go, which is why they played in the second match. They came back and made great adjustments.”
Senior Gabriel Friedrich and freshman Francisco Cerundolo gave their team a mental push forward with a 6-2 win in their first match-up.
The team did not give up any simple mistakes, which helped secure their win. Even Harrison O'Keefe, who had an off-season shoulder injury, delivered fully for his team against the Citadel.
“Overall, as a team we had three goals and for the most part by the end of the day everybody accomplished those,” Goofi said. “I was very pleasantly surprised with where we’re at now in the season, and I’m looking forward to this following weekend.”