University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, April 7
Columbia, SC
6 p.m.
University of Georgia
at
South Carolina
Photo by: Tony Walsh/UGAAA
Bulldogs Travel to South Carolina, Florida for SEC Road Contests
April 06, 2023 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. – The seventh-ranked University of Georgia men's tennis team will play in its final two road matches of the regular season this weekend, heading to Columbia on Friday to take on No. 5 South Carolina at 6 p.m. ET and to Gainesville on Sunday to battle against No. 20 Florida at noon.
#7 Georgia (14-5, 8-0 SEC) vs. #5 South Carolina (17-3, 6-2 SEC)
Date: Friday, April 7, 2023
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Venue: Carolina Tennis Center
#7 Georgia (14-5, 8-0 SEC) vs. #20 Florida (12-8, 5-3 SEC)
Date: Sunday, April 9, 2023
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Gainesville, Fla.
Venue: Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex
MEDIA INFORMATION
UGA Season Stats: https://gado.gs/9xb
South Carolina Season Stats: https://gado.gs/ads
Florida Season Stats: https://gado.gs/adt
Live Stats vs. South Carolina: https://gado.gs/adp
Live Video vs. South Carolina: https://gado.gs/adq
Live Stats vs. Florida: https://gado.gs/ado
Live Video vs. Florida: https://gado.gs/2db
SEC Crosscourt Cast by CrackedRacquets (Friday Only): https://gado.gs/ac7
Social Media
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Men's Tennis on social media on Twitter and Instagram @UGATennis, on Facebook @UGAMensTennis, and online at GeorgiaDogs.com.
QUICK HITS
Conference Play Continues
The Bulldogs continue Southeastern Conference action this week on the road, beginning with No. 5 South Carolina on Friday at 6 p.m. ET and then traveling to Gainesville to take on No. 20 Florida on Sunday at noon. The program holds a 40-10 record against the Gamecocks and a 60-25 mark versus the Gators all time.
Should Georgia win both matches this weekend, the team will clinch at least a share of its 32nd SEC regular season championship.
In its two matches last weekend, Georgia defeated No. 4 Kentucky by a 5-2 result at home and then beat No. 59 Arkansas on the road, 4-0. The team will close out its home slate and the regular season at home against No. 14 Mississippi State on Friday, April 14 and No. 29 Ole Miss on Sunday, April 16.
The Bulldogs concluded a perfect month of March, going 7-0 and now carry a nine-match win streak dating back to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Team Indoor Championships on Feb. 18. This season, Georgia has played 15 ranked teams thus far, going 11-4 in those matches, including six wins over top 25 teams.
Diaz's Details
On the team's match against South Carolina…
"We certainly are playing for a lot. We're playing for a big prize, and we certainly see this as one of our most important matches this year, but we've played plenty of important matches. For us, it's a matter of knowing that we're going to be playing in front of a big crowd in a road environment. Our guys have had a lot of experience being on the road this year quite a lot and facing good teams. I think we're well prepared, we're playing well and we know what to expect against South Carolina. They're tenacious, they're a great team and it should be a wonderful match."
On looking ahead to the Florida match…
"We're trying to take this one match at a time. We're playing two very good teams – they're capable, talented and well-coached. We go into both competitions, regardless of the outcome of the first one, ready to flip the page and play another great, tough match. We need to stay focused, not lose intensity. That's what we've been talking to these guys about – our best tennis is capable of beating anyone in the country, but we know that there are many teams, that if you're just a little bit off or not well prepared, that anyone can get you."
On Teodor Giusca's impact on the team…
"Teodor has played a huge role in this team. He is an extremely hard worker and has a lot of enthusiasm that is contagious. He is unselfish and is ready to play at any spot – he has probably played at more spots in our lineup than anyone else. He's willing to play wherever is needed to help this team and I will miss him a lot next season."
Dawgs in the Rankings
In the latest team rankings from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, Georgia rose one spot and is now the No. 7 team in the country.
Redshirt freshman Ethan Quinn is now No. 3 in the singles rankings and has won seven of his previous eight matches with a trio of match-clinching victories. The Fresno, Calif. native is the only freshman to have multiple wins on court one and one of two SEC players in the top five. With Henning now at No. 13, Georgia becomes one of two SEC schools to have multiple players in the top 15 of the singles rankings.
Blake Croyder, tied for the team's leader in dual match singles wins with 12, moved to No. 107. With 97 career singles wins each, both Croyder and Henning are six away from entering the top 20 in program history. Croyder has been ranked in each edition of the ITA singles rankings this season for the first time in his career.
Trent Bryde and Quinn make up the top spot for Georgia in doubles and rose to the No. 7 pair in the country in the latest doubles poll. This is the highest the two have been ranked together and the career-best ranking in doubles for Quinn. The tandem has won 10 matches this season on court one, including three point-clinching victories.
Sophomore Surge
With a singles record of 22-9, sophomore Miguel Perez Peña has already increased his win total by 10 from last season, the highest on the team of any returning player. The Castellon de la Plana, Spain native currently leads the team in wins, going 10-5 in the fall and now 12-4 in the dual match season. Perez Peña has won nine of his last 11 matches dating back to the team's win against Georgia Tech on Feb. 12 and holds a win on court five. With a 12-4 spring record, he is tied with No. 13 Henning for the best win percentage of anyone on the team at .750 percent.
Clutch Clinching
In the eight conference matches Georgia has played in, six different players have earned the match-clinching win in singles: Bryde against Alabama and LSU, Quinn against Auburn and Kentucky, Croyder against Texas A&M, Thomas Paulsell did so against Vanderbilt in his first dual match result of the season, Henning capped off the Bulldogs comeback against Tennessee and most recently Perez Peña confirmed the team's sweep of Arkansas.
In total, six different players have earned the winning point for Georgia in singles this season: Bryde with five, Henning with three, Quinn with two and Croyder, Paulsell and Perez Peña with one each.
Love, the Dawgs
The Bulldogs have been winning at a high rate in singles competition since Valentine's Day. In the team's last 12 matches, each player has a winning percentage above .500 in singles, with two different athletes currently riding at least a four-match win streak – Perez Peña (six) and No. 13 Henning (seven).
Since the start of conference play, Georgia has impressed on the top three courts. Since the team's 5-2 win at No. 58 Alabama, No. 3 Quinn, No. 13 Henning and Bryde are a combined 19-2 on courts one, two and three respectively.
Straight-Set Wins
Georgia has straight-set victories in 44 of the team's 65 dual-match singles wins, good for a clip of 67.7 percent of the team's singles wins. No. 107 Croyder leads the team, with 10 of his 12 wins coming in straight-set decisions. Of those 39 straight-set wins, 26 of them came in matches that were 6-4, 6-4 or better. Perez Peña leads the team in this statistic with seven, No. 107 Croyder has six, No. 13 Henning and No. 3 Quinn have five each, Giusca has two and Paulsell has one.
Scouting the Gamecocks
South Carolina currently holds the No. 5 spot in the team rankings, holding a 17-3 record with all three of its losses coming against conference opponents. The Bulldogs and Gamecocks have played previously this season, with Georgia taking the win in the first round of the ITA Indoor National Team Championships by a 4-3 result. South Carolina also fell to Mississippi State and Auburn in consecutive matches on March 24 and 26.
The Gamecocks have four athletes ranked in singles, led by No. 6 Toby Samuel who holds a 16-3 record on court one. Joining him in the top 15 is the team's choice for court two, No. 11 Connor Thomson with a 28-5 mark this year. Together, the two are the nation's top-ranked doubles tandem, going 20-1 this year and have won 11-straight matches.
No. 88 Casey Hoole holds a 9-7 record between courts four and five, while No. 120 Raphael Lambling is 7-8 on court three. In doubles, No. 31 Beasley and James Story are the team's other ranked pair.
Scouting the Gators
Florida has gone 12-8 through 20 matches this season and is 5-3 in conference action. The team played a doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday, sweeping both matches. Its three SEC losses came at Mississippi State, at home against Alabama and at Texas A&M.
The Gators have three players ranked in singles in the latest ITA poll, led by their choice for court one, No. 81 Axel Nefve, with a 9-9 record. No. 92 Will Grant is 10-6 on court two and 21-10 overall, with No. 102 Jonah Braswell splitting time between courts three and four, going 10-7 so far. In doubles, No. 10 Grant and Nefve are 11-5 on court one, and No. 17 Tanapatt Nirundorn and Togan Tokac are 13-7 together this year.
Series History
Georgia vs. South Carolina – UGA, 40-10
Georgia vs. Florida – UGA, 60-25
#7 Georgia (14-5, 8-0 SEC) vs. #5 South Carolina (17-3, 6-2 SEC)
Date: Friday, April 7, 2023
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Venue: Carolina Tennis Center
#7 Georgia (14-5, 8-0 SEC) vs. #20 Florida (12-8, 5-3 SEC)
Date: Sunday, April 9, 2023
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Gainesville, Fla.
Venue: Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex
MEDIA INFORMATION
UGA Season Stats: https://gado.gs/9xb
South Carolina Season Stats: https://gado.gs/ads
Florida Season Stats: https://gado.gs/adt
Live Stats vs. South Carolina: https://gado.gs/adp
Live Video vs. South Carolina: https://gado.gs/adq
Live Stats vs. Florida: https://gado.gs/ado
Live Video vs. Florida: https://gado.gs/2db
SEC Crosscourt Cast by CrackedRacquets (Friday Only): https://gado.gs/ac7
Social Media
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Men's Tennis on social media on Twitter and Instagram @UGATennis, on Facebook @UGAMensTennis, and online at GeorgiaDogs.com.
QUICK HITS
Conference Play Continues
The Bulldogs continue Southeastern Conference action this week on the road, beginning with No. 5 South Carolina on Friday at 6 p.m. ET and then traveling to Gainesville to take on No. 20 Florida on Sunday at noon. The program holds a 40-10 record against the Gamecocks and a 60-25 mark versus the Gators all time.
Should Georgia win both matches this weekend, the team will clinch at least a share of its 32nd SEC regular season championship.
In its two matches last weekend, Georgia defeated No. 4 Kentucky by a 5-2 result at home and then beat No. 59 Arkansas on the road, 4-0. The team will close out its home slate and the regular season at home against No. 14 Mississippi State on Friday, April 14 and No. 29 Ole Miss on Sunday, April 16.
The Bulldogs concluded a perfect month of March, going 7-0 and now carry a nine-match win streak dating back to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Team Indoor Championships on Feb. 18. This season, Georgia has played 15 ranked teams thus far, going 11-4 in those matches, including six wins over top 25 teams.
Diaz's Details
On the team's match against South Carolina…
"We certainly are playing for a lot. We're playing for a big prize, and we certainly see this as one of our most important matches this year, but we've played plenty of important matches. For us, it's a matter of knowing that we're going to be playing in front of a big crowd in a road environment. Our guys have had a lot of experience being on the road this year quite a lot and facing good teams. I think we're well prepared, we're playing well and we know what to expect against South Carolina. They're tenacious, they're a great team and it should be a wonderful match."
On looking ahead to the Florida match…
"We're trying to take this one match at a time. We're playing two very good teams – they're capable, talented and well-coached. We go into both competitions, regardless of the outcome of the first one, ready to flip the page and play another great, tough match. We need to stay focused, not lose intensity. That's what we've been talking to these guys about – our best tennis is capable of beating anyone in the country, but we know that there are many teams, that if you're just a little bit off or not well prepared, that anyone can get you."
On Teodor Giusca's impact on the team…
"Teodor has played a huge role in this team. He is an extremely hard worker and has a lot of enthusiasm that is contagious. He is unselfish and is ready to play at any spot – he has probably played at more spots in our lineup than anyone else. He's willing to play wherever is needed to help this team and I will miss him a lot next season."
Dawgs in the Rankings
In the latest team rankings from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, Georgia rose one spot and is now the No. 7 team in the country.
Redshirt freshman Ethan Quinn is now No. 3 in the singles rankings and has won seven of his previous eight matches with a trio of match-clinching victories. The Fresno, Calif. native is the only freshman to have multiple wins on court one and one of two SEC players in the top five. With Henning now at No. 13, Georgia becomes one of two SEC schools to have multiple players in the top 15 of the singles rankings.
Blake Croyder, tied for the team's leader in dual match singles wins with 12, moved to No. 107. With 97 career singles wins each, both Croyder and Henning are six away from entering the top 20 in program history. Croyder has been ranked in each edition of the ITA singles rankings this season for the first time in his career.
Trent Bryde and Quinn make up the top spot for Georgia in doubles and rose to the No. 7 pair in the country in the latest doubles poll. This is the highest the two have been ranked together and the career-best ranking in doubles for Quinn. The tandem has won 10 matches this season on court one, including three point-clinching victories.
Sophomore Surge
With a singles record of 22-9, sophomore Miguel Perez Peña has already increased his win total by 10 from last season, the highest on the team of any returning player. The Castellon de la Plana, Spain native currently leads the team in wins, going 10-5 in the fall and now 12-4 in the dual match season. Perez Peña has won nine of his last 11 matches dating back to the team's win against Georgia Tech on Feb. 12 and holds a win on court five. With a 12-4 spring record, he is tied with No. 13 Henning for the best win percentage of anyone on the team at .750 percent.
Clutch Clinching
In the eight conference matches Georgia has played in, six different players have earned the match-clinching win in singles: Bryde against Alabama and LSU, Quinn against Auburn and Kentucky, Croyder against Texas A&M, Thomas Paulsell did so against Vanderbilt in his first dual match result of the season, Henning capped off the Bulldogs comeback against Tennessee and most recently Perez Peña confirmed the team's sweep of Arkansas.
In total, six different players have earned the winning point for Georgia in singles this season: Bryde with five, Henning with three, Quinn with two and Croyder, Paulsell and Perez Peña with one each.
Love, the Dawgs
The Bulldogs have been winning at a high rate in singles competition since Valentine's Day. In the team's last 12 matches, each player has a winning percentage above .500 in singles, with two different athletes currently riding at least a four-match win streak – Perez Peña (six) and No. 13 Henning (seven).
Since the start of conference play, Georgia has impressed on the top three courts. Since the team's 5-2 win at No. 58 Alabama, No. 3 Quinn, No. 13 Henning and Bryde are a combined 19-2 on courts one, two and three respectively.
Straight-Set Wins
Georgia has straight-set victories in 44 of the team's 65 dual-match singles wins, good for a clip of 67.7 percent of the team's singles wins. No. 107 Croyder leads the team, with 10 of his 12 wins coming in straight-set decisions. Of those 39 straight-set wins, 26 of them came in matches that were 6-4, 6-4 or better. Perez Peña leads the team in this statistic with seven, No. 107 Croyder has six, No. 13 Henning and No. 3 Quinn have five each, Giusca has two and Paulsell has one.
Scouting the Gamecocks
South Carolina currently holds the No. 5 spot in the team rankings, holding a 17-3 record with all three of its losses coming against conference opponents. The Bulldogs and Gamecocks have played previously this season, with Georgia taking the win in the first round of the ITA Indoor National Team Championships by a 4-3 result. South Carolina also fell to Mississippi State and Auburn in consecutive matches on March 24 and 26.
The Gamecocks have four athletes ranked in singles, led by No. 6 Toby Samuel who holds a 16-3 record on court one. Joining him in the top 15 is the team's choice for court two, No. 11 Connor Thomson with a 28-5 mark this year. Together, the two are the nation's top-ranked doubles tandem, going 20-1 this year and have won 11-straight matches.
No. 88 Casey Hoole holds a 9-7 record between courts four and five, while No. 120 Raphael Lambling is 7-8 on court three. In doubles, No. 31 Beasley and James Story are the team's other ranked pair.
Scouting the Gators
Florida has gone 12-8 through 20 matches this season and is 5-3 in conference action. The team played a doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday, sweeping both matches. Its three SEC losses came at Mississippi State, at home against Alabama and at Texas A&M.
The Gators have three players ranked in singles in the latest ITA poll, led by their choice for court one, No. 81 Axel Nefve, with a 9-9 record. No. 92 Will Grant is 10-6 on court two and 21-10 overall, with No. 102 Jonah Braswell splitting time between courts three and four, going 10-7 so far. In doubles, No. 10 Grant and Nefve are 11-5 on court one, and No. 17 Tanapatt Nirundorn and Togan Tokac are 13-7 together this year.
Series History
Georgia vs. South Carolina – UGA, 40-10
- Last five meetings:
- February 17, 2023, Chicago (ITA National Team Indoor Championships) – UGA, 4-3
- March 13, 2022, Athens – UGA, 4-3
- April 21, 2021, Fayetteville, Ark (SEC Tournament) – SC, 4-2
- March 7, 2021, Columbia, S.C. – SC, 4-2
- January 26, 2020, Starkville, Miss (ITA Kickoff Weekend) – SC, 4-3
Georgia vs. Florida – UGA, 60-25
- Last five meetings:
- March 11, 2022, Athens – UF, 4-0
- March 5, 2021, Gainesville, Fla. – UF, 7-0
- February 20, 2021, Seattle (ITA National Team Indoor Championships) – UF, 4-2
- March 15, 2019, Athens – UF, 5-2
- March 2, 2018, Gainesville, Fla. – UF, 4-2
Players Mentioned
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