Notre Dame will be going on the road once more this weekend, this time to take on Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida, Friday and Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday.
The Irish (9-5, 4-2 ACC) recently traveled to Florida for a non-conference match against East Carolina before coming home for two conference matches over the weekend. Notre Dame now returns to the Sunshine State for an ACC matchup with the Seminoles (8-5, 2-3 ACC).
Given that all but one of their remaining matches will be against ACC opponents, Irish head coach Jay Louderback believes that each match will be difficult from here on out.
“All these ACC matches are important, especially the ones we have on the road because all of the ones we play on the road are good,” Louderback said. “We need to get to where we go into some of these away ACC matches and steal a couple of them. This is just the start of it."
However, Louderback said that the biggest concern for the team at the moment is transitioning to outdoor tennis.
“The biggest challenge for us, and it’s a thing we’ll run into from here on out, is going from indoor to outdoor,” Louderback said. “It’s good because I think we are definitely better outdoors, it’s just we’re getting our kids used to going in and out and making the big switch every year.”
Following their matchup in Tallahassee, Florida, on Friday, the Irish will then travel to Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday to take on the Yellow Jackets (5-6, 2-3 ACC).
Although both Florida State and Georgia Tech are outside the ITA top 50, Louderback does not want his team underestimating their opponents. In fact, he believes that both teams are much stronger than their rankings indicate.
“Both Georgia Tech and Florida State are very, very good,” Louderback said. "The rankings right now are insane. We went to the computer a lot earlier than we normally do with the rankings, and I think it really has messed the rankings up. Florida State and Georgia Tech are both ranked very low, but there’s no question that they both should be in the top 30. That’s the thing that’s crazy right now. Both teams will be very good, especially with us on the road.”
In order to come away with two road victories this weekend, Louderback thinks that the Irish will need to come away with the doubles point in order to set the tone for the singles matches that follow.
”I think the key for us is the doubles, and both teams have very, very good doubles,” Louderback said. “Florida State might be even stronger in singles than in doubles, but both are good in singles and doubles.”
The Irish will return to the courts Friday at 3 p.m. when they take on the Seminoles at Scott Speicher Tennis Center in Tallahassee, Florida before a Sunday matchup against the Yellow Jackets at noon in Atlanta, Georgia.
