Gamecocks travel for weekend tournament in Greenville
For coach Arlo Elkins and South Carolina’s women’s tennis team, the Furman Fall Classic should provide the first tough test of the 2011-12 season.
The Gamecocks will look to build on last week’s success at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic in a three-day tournament this weekend in Greenville that will feature several of the nation’s top programs.
USC kicked off the 2011-12 season by posting a 33-0 mark over the course of its weekend in Wisconsin.
“Going 33-0 is impressive no matter who you play,” Elkins said. “Hopefully that momentum carries through.”
Elkins said he was very impressed with his team’s performance last week, but added that they will likely have a harder time this weekend against stiffer competition at Furman.
Joining the Gamecocks in the tournament along with Furman will be Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Florida State, Tennessee and Clemson, all of whom enter the weekend ranked in the top 25.
Although fall tournaments are focused on the individuals rather than the team, Elkins said they provide a good opportunity to assess the team’s needs.
“It’s a good test, especially early in the year,” Elkins said. “How well you do or don’t do isn’t as important, but it is a good opportunity to see what we have.”
Fresh off its strong start in Milwaukee, Elkins said there isn’t much his team has had to improve on yet, but said the Furman Classic will give them a better idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are.
“We just have to continue to keep focus,” Elkins said. “This weekend will be a test for us as coaches as well. The competition jumps way up, and we will see where we go from there.”
While the Gamecocks face the challenge of stronger competition this weekend, they will also have to adjust to a faster playing surface. The tournament in Milwaukee was played on a clay court, which is slower than the hard court used at Furman.
In addition to preparing for the spring season, two Gamecocks have an added motivation to perform well this weekend. Seniors Anya Morgina and Dijana Stojic are set to play in the ITA/Riviera All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, which are held during the first week of October. Elkins said he wants both athletes to play well at Furman so they can gain momentum going into the All-American Championships.
“They have extra motivation to work hard this weekend,” Elkins said. “Hopefully that will carry over to California.”