Tennis team likes its draw in conference shootout

USF men’s tennis coach Don Barr credited wins against Alabama and Auburn to aggressive play and a mentality of “we are going to win this match.” Repeating those actions, Barr said, will be crucial to USF’s success this weekend at the Conference USA shootout in New Orleans.

“If we go and take it to them,” Barr said, “we will be fine.”

At No. 29, USF will be one of the highest nationally ranked teams in attendance, but No. 7 TCU will be chasing after the Bulls, as will three other nationally ranked teams. Tulane, Louisville and Memphis are ranked No. 45, No. 56 and No. 69, respectively. When asked about how the Bulls stack up to the rest of the conference, Barr said that they are one of the best, but they still need to improve.

“I think they know they have a lot to improve,” Barr said. “All teams are improving and it is too early in the season to toot our own horn.”

With a day of rest on Monday and impeding rain on Tuesday, USF finally had its first day of practice yesterday since their weekend of competition.

“We worked on some doubles, (and) we worked on getting loose,” Barr said.

The Bulls will travel to New Orleans today, where they will get in three or four more practices before they compete on Saturday.

“We will make sure that doubles are sharp and that we get after them,” Barr said.

Confident in his team, Barr thinks they will do well, but he said he is stressing the importance of being aggressive and going into a match trying to win instead of going into a match trying not to lose.

“We want to be the hunters, not the hunted,” Barr said.