January 29, 5 p.m. #11 Florida vs. #19 UCF LIVE STATS | WATCH | January 31, 1 p.m. South Florida vs. #19 UCF LIVE STATS | WATCH |
ORLANDO, Fla. – The No. 19 UCF men's tennis team is set for their 2021 campaign as they'll host a pair of huge matches to begin the season. The Knights will host No. 11 Florida on Friday at 5 p.m. before hosting long-time foe South Florida on Sunday at 1 p.m. 323 days will have passed from UCF's last match to the time they take the court on Friday evening.
A QUICK LOOK BACK
The Black and Gold finished the shortened season with an impressive 10-3 record, including stringing together eight consecutive victories. A few of those wins came over ranked opponents and historical powerhouses. The most memorable triumph was at the expense of No. 20 Texas Tech, where the Knights went down 3-1 in Lubbock and managed to win the remaining three singles matches which all went three sets. UCF's final match of the shortened 2020 season was a 4-1 win over South Alabama.
SEASON OUTLOOK
There are two big headlines that stand out from the end of last dual match season to the beginning of this one. On Apr. 28, Gabriel Decamps became the first singles All-American in program history and became one of five to ever earn the honor wearing the Black and Gold. He compiled a 9-4 record and climbed all the way up to a career-best No. 7 ranking at one point. The other headline came in the fall at the ITA National Fall Championships, where Trey Hilderbrand made an impressive run through the field and wound up defeating fellow teammate Decamps in the championship match.
All six singles and doubles starters return for the 2021 season. UCF expanded their roster in the offseason, adding five-star recruit Quinn Snyder and landing transfers Kento Yamada and Bryan Triana.
UCF will face eight teams from the state of Florida this season. Their schedule includes some competitive Power 6 matchups as the Knights will square off against three ACC teams, two Big 12 schools and two SEC squads. The Black and Gold will face seven teams that were ranked in the top-50 of the Oracle/ITA team poll at the time of the 2020 season shutting down.
The 2021 dual match season means that Director of Tennis John Roddick is set to embark on his fifth season at the helm of the program. He and the team have posted a record of 52-31 since his arrival including reaching two NCAA Tournaments. UCF was on pace to smash records in 2020 and will look to continue their momentum into this season.
CAPACITY, MASKS AND MORE
The USTA National Campus will allow 25 percent of capacity of fans at matches. Masks and social distancing in the stands are required. A daily health waiver must be filled out upon entry to the venue. Spectators will not be allowed in the indoor tennis facility if the match needs to be moved for any reason. More information can be found on the link attached to this preview. Matches are free to attend.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF Men's Tennis on social media on Facebook (/UCF.MTennis), Twitter (UCF_MTennis) and Instagram (UCF.MTennis).
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