USF now No. 21

Coming off a convincing victory against the Florida A&M Rattlers Sunday, the USF men’s tennis team (2-2) looks to make it two in a row when it faces Conference USA rival Marquette (1-1).

The Bulls, who moved up two spots in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings from No. 23 in the nation to No. 21, look to capitalize on the momentum gained from their last win.

Last season, the Bulls traveled to Milwaukee and beat the Golden Eagles 7-0.

“Last time we played Marquette, we had a hard time with their indoor complex,”said USF coach Don Barr. “Hopefully, the advantage is in our court when we play outdoors Friday.”

Every match against conference opponents is crucial to win if the Bulls want to make it to the Conference USA tournament.

“We need to be as far up in the seedings as possible at the end of the year so we can be competitive and repeat as C-USA champions,” Barr said.

Barr said that being aggressive is one of the keys to victory against the Golden Eagles. “We need to battle back together and grow stronger as a unit,” Barr said. “Playing capable tennis is extremely important.”

Barr also believes if his team continues to stay focused and close out its matches, it will be a very competitive team all the way through the season.

The Bulls will take on Marquette today at 2 p.m. at the Varsity Tennis Courts.