With a stable of young talent and lofty expectations in hand, the Bulldog tennis team hit the road this past weekend eager to get the spring season underway.
With sophomores George Coupland and Artem Lluyshin ranked 42nd and 125th respectively, and an overall team ranking of 67th, the Bulldogs definitely have cause for their excitement. The first challenge of the new season was the SEC Indoor Championships in Atlanta.
In his third year at the helm, coach Per Nilsson said the tournament served as a learning experience for the young squad.
“We had one match where I felt like we could have done better and it kind of set the tone for that day, but overall it was a good weekend,” he said.
Day one of the tournament featured Bulldog wins by the team’s lone senior Chris Doerr, and sophomores Artem Lluyshin and Louis Cant in the singles division. These winners advanced to day two as well as George Coupland who had a bye for the first round. After winning in the first round, Lluyshin said the team was confident going into the tournament.
“The tournament was very strong,” he said. “All the guys were ready and we came in expecting a great result.”
The doubles division saw the Sanchez and Stump duo advance due to a withdrawal as well as Coupland and Lluyshin’s team, who had a first round bye.
However, day two of the tournament would not be so kind to the Dawgs as they went up against tougher opponents. The competitive spirit was there but it was not to be as the Dawgs lost close matches in both singles and doubles play.
Day three, on the other hand, ended on a positive with Max Gregor Smith picking up a win in the consolation bracket.
George Coupland, who played despite flu-like symptoms, was quick to point out the positives from the weekend.
“Some matches you win and some matches you lose but in every match you learn something new,” he said. “This weekend served as a learning curve for us all.”
With the tournament behind them and more experience gained, the Dawgs are looking forward to a very familiar foe this Monday. To kick off the season with their first dual match the Dawgs will square off with the Ole Miss Rebels in the River Hills Cup in Jackson. This will be the first of three meetings between the two teams this season. Players and coaches alike are expecting a big turnout for Monday’s showdown.
Nilsson said he is hopeful for strong support from fans in the area.
“Last year it was packed, and was even sold out a few days before, and I think it will be the same this year.”
The rivalry has been one-sided in favor of the Rebels recently but this year’s squad has been working very hard to change that, Lluyshin said.
“We can’t wait for this match,” he said. “It seems like we came back from the summer holiday to work hard the entire fall just to be ready for this match.”