The Alabama men’s tennis team is at the halfway point in its fall season and will host the USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships this weekend.
The Crimson Tide only has few more fall tournaments before starting the regular season in January. Sophomore Becker O’Shaughnessey said the team has played a lot this fall and continues to get better each tournament.
“The team is improving day by day, and we are getting in great shape,” O’Shaughnessey said. “We are getting to compete in a lot more tournaments this fall so we are getting a lot more matches in and we will see how we improve through that.”
There will be 18 teams from the South competing in the Southern Regional Championships this weekend in Tuscaloosa. Head coach George Husack said hosting and playing in this tournament will be a great experience for the team.
“To play at home and sleep in your bed is certainly a great thing for this weekend,” Husack said. “It’s a great opportunity to show off our facilities, but also for our guys to play in front of their fans, friends and family.”
Hosting the tournament allows every Alabama player to play, including five newcomers. Along with new members, the Crimson Tide has four veterans from last year: senior Daniil Proskura, junior Stewart Kenyon, and sophomores Brian Conlon and O’Shaughnessey.
Husack said the four returners are the ones who should be carrying this team and teaching the newcomers.
“Right now we have a four-headed leader in the four returners from last year’s team,” Husack said. “I think they have done an outstanding job in mentoring the new guys and the way we want to be as players and as a program.”
Despite only being a sophomore, O’Shaughnessey said he has embraced the leadership role and looks to lead by example.
“It has been interesting being a sophomore and being an elder on the team,” O’Shaughnessey said. “It has been great because the five new guys look up to you, so you have no time to slack off as you are always put in a position to represent Alabama.”
The deeper the team gets into its fall season, the more progress it shows headed into spring. Husack said everyone has made progress and is on point for fall.
“A lot of the guys to this point have been introduced to what Alabama tennis is about and what our philosophy and training is,” Husack said. “Everyone is where they need to be at this point in the season.”
