Gators Men’s Tennis Ends Season

Although it didn’t end with the bang they’d hoped for, Gators Men’s Tennis capped out a stellar season on Thursday in Illinois.

Losing to Virginia, the Gators were unable to overcome the Cavaliers in Champaign.

High Expectations for Number One

The Gators were ranked number one in the country heading into this season.

They were also the defending champions.

https://twitter.com/GatorsMTN/status/1478760254817116163

Twelve first place votes landed Florida as the unanimous leader heading into 2022.

Defending the title inevitably puts a target on your back.

Undefeated At Home

The Gators were perfect this year at Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.

They racked up a total of 13 wins, beating opponents such as UCF, Florida State, and South Carolina.

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Few Losses, Many Wins

The only times the Gators did drop matches were against TCU, Texas, and most recently Virginia.

In the season opener, the then fifth ranked Horned Frogs were able to edge Florida 4-3 in a hard fought match.

The Longhorns also just barely edged the Gators, winning 4-3 in Seattle, Washington.

From February 18th to May 19th, the Gators chomped through opponents, winning every game for the next three months.

21 straight match wins for @GatorsMTN — and 21 straight doubles points along the way.

Correlation?
Yeah, probably.

No. 2 #Gators advance to NCAA quarterfinals. https://t.co/jeBZCMA3zU

— Chris Harry (@GatorsChris) May 14, 2022

Award Winning Play

The Gators won a plethora of awards for their astounding season.

Bryan Shelton was named the SEC Coach of the Year, along with his son Ben, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.

Other Gators made waves this season as well.

Sam Riffice, Duarte Vale and Andy Andrade all earned spots on the First Team All-SEC.

Blaise Bicknell also earned a spot on the Second Team All-SEC.

Men’s Tennis Season Draws to a Close

The quarterfinals upset to the Cavaliers finally put an end to one of the best seasons Gators Men’s Tennis has seen.

Dropping the match 4-1, Florida is now slated to take part in the individuals championship, taking place from May 23rd to May 28th.

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