TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 23 LSU men’s tennis team (13-3, 3-2 SEC) will travel to Tuscaloosa on Friday to take on No. 60 Alabama (12-10, 2-3 SEC) in their third Southeastern Conference road contest of the season.
The Tigers are a perfect 12-0 within the friendly confines of W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium in Baton Rouge, but the team is still looking for their first SEC road win this year. Head coach Jeff Brown is confident his team will find success as they plan to stick to the same winning formula that vaulted them into the top 25 of the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings.
“We have very good points throughout our lineup,” Brown said. “We have a lot of confidence and our doubles point is very strong. The key will be to close out the matches where we are leading.”
The team of junior Boris Arias and sophomore Jordan Daigle leads a very strong doubles unit for LSU. The Tigers are 14-2 in doubles play since the start of dual play and have only lost one time when taking the first point. In addition to being ranked No. 18 by the ITA, Arias and Daigle defeated two top ten teams in the last two weeks.
There is little time for rest in the SEC as the duo will again face a ranked team when they take on the No. 32 team of Alabama junior Becker O’Shaughnessey and freshman Korey Lovett.
“[Arias and Daigle] will face another ranked team but for us depth is very important,” Brown said. “We have an edge because we have three very good doubles teams. Our depth is key in matching up and that has been our formula.”
Beyond court one, LSU relies heavily on the teams of junior Tam Trinh and Eric Perez as well as senior Chris Simpson and Justin Butsch who are a combined 12-3 on courts two and three.
Brown said Alabama is a dangerous young team as their roster is comprised of seven freshmen and sophomores. With recent wins over No. 13 Ole Miss and No. 51 Auburn, it is clear that they are a future force in the SEC. With the Crimson Tide sporting an 11-2 home record, the Tigers will have to be at their best to earn their first SEC road win this season.
“Alabama is a young team that took some close losses early on,” Brown said. “It will be a challenge for us to play there. We feel we have a good opportunity and we hope our doubles performances can carry over.”
For up-to-date information and behind-the-scenes access on the Tigers, fans can follow the LSU men’s tennis team on Twitter and Instagram at @lsutennis and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lsutennis.