Gator Country

Florida senior Alexandre Lacroix is seven wins from tying the UF career overall wins record. / Gator Country file photo by Tim Casey

The 16th-ranked University of Florida men's tennis team travels to Columbia, S.C., for its regular-season finale at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center.

Florida comes into the match at 13-8 overall and 6-4 in Southeastern Conference play, while the Gamecocks hold a 6-16 mark (1-9 SEC). The Gators are looking to earn a bye in next week’s SEC Tournament in Gainesville, needing a win and a Mississippi State loss on Saturday to accomplish that.

The Gators are led by senior Alexandre Lacroix (Paris, France), who sits seven wins from tying the UF career overall wins record. Lacroix has 201 career victories (104 singles, 97 doubles) to date and looks to edge closer to Justin O’Neal’s school record. Lacroix is one of three Gators ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings, currently holding the No. 7 ranking. Sophomore Sekou Bangoura Jr. (Bradenton, Fla.) sits at 45th in the nation, while junior Nassim Slilam (Paris, France) is ranked No. 80.

The Gators also have four doubles pairs ranked nationally, with two of those combinations expected to be paired up for this weekend’s showdown, including Bangoura and Lacroix ranked 39th as well as Slilam and sophomore Billy Federhofer (North Miami, Fla.) at 90th.

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