Welcome back college tennis fans to this week’s SEC Roundup! It feels strange to say this, but we are now only about a month away from the end of the 2023 college tennis season. As we begin the home stretch of the season and look toward tournament play, we’ll begin to look at how teams stack up against each other and monitor the rankings. With that being said, we have plenty of storylines to cover, so let’s get to it. One quick reminder: Be sure to tune in to our SEC Cross Court Cast on SECN/ESPN+ for all your conference viewing if you haven’t already!
Storylines of the Week
Dawgs on Top
After a middling start to the spring that saw the Georgia Men’s team stumble to a 5-5 record, people began questioning whether this team had what it takes to compete for a national title. Well, they’ve certainly answered that question in an emphatic fashion. Currently riding a 12-match win streak, Georgia now possesses a 17-5 overall record, while also going 11-0 in SEC play over that time. With their remarkable win streak, the now #4 ranked Bulldogs have been crowned as the outright SEC Regular Season Champions, and are now one win away from an undefeated 12-0 SEC season. Although there is a direct correlation between the form of Ethan Quinn and how this team has done, it’s the depth of this UGA lineup that continues to impress and is what has contributed to wins over their last seven Top-25 opponents. With their ability to put four points on the board from any court, this team certainly has what it takes to be a tier-one contender, and will like their chances against anyone heading into the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Championships.
Volunteers Heating Up
If it weren’t for Georgia’s success in SEC play, the biggest storyline that everyone would be discussing right now would be the play of the Tennessee Men’s team. Now riding a seven-match win streak, Tennessee has put their early struggles this season behind them with a talented roster that can seemingly push any top team to the limit. While it all starts with Johannus Monday at the #1 position, this team is certainly deep enough to make some serious noise in postseason play. The Volunteers now find themselves locked in a battle for the oh-so-important #8 spot with fellow SEC foe South Carolina. This SEC Tournament is definitely going to be a fun one!
SEC Teams in the Rankings
SEC Men’s Teams
Some big changes on the men’s side of the D1 rankings this week. As previously mentioned, Georgia now sits at number 4 in the rankings after being ranked at #7 last week. Following them up is Kentucky, coming in at #5 in this edition of the rankings, as they move up a spot from the previous edition of the rankings. Tennessee, after a continued hot streak, now find themselves ranked inside the top 8 after moving up to #9 last week. South Carolina, the only SEC team in the top 10 to drop in the rankings has fallen from 5 to 9 after stumbling through the final stretch of the season.
SEC Women’s Teams
As usual, we have two SEC teams in the Top 10 of the Women’s Team Rankings. Unlike the Men’s side of things where there was plenty of change, not a single team in the Top 10 moved up or down. Once again, both the Texas A&M Aggies and the Georgia Bulldogs find themselves respectively ranked at the #2 and #4 spots.
Upcoming Marquee Matchup
#21 Florida at #9 South Carolina
Where: Columbia, S.C.
When: Sun. April 16, 2023
What time: 1:00 PM ET
Players to watch for in this matchup: #8 Toby Samuel (SC), #17 Connor Thomson (SC), #41 Axel Nefve (UF), #83 William Granti (UF), #102 Casey Hoole (SC), #106 Jonah Braswell (UF), #120 Raphael Lambling (SC)
