Georgia Southern prepares for final stretch of regular season

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Derik Wuchte

The Georgia Southern women’s tennis team stands at a solid 11-7 record on the season. Their recent wins over Sun Belt Conference opponent UL Monroe and out-of-conference Savannah State have put the Eagles on a winning streak again. They will be closing out the regular season this weekend before entering the postseason in late April.

The team has met some of their tougher competition this season from Sun Belt rivals, Georgia State and South Alabama. Two weeks ago, the Eagles met both opponents in Troy, AL and suffered losses. They have been able to take back a win over UL Monroe to push their conference record to 1-2, but they are still looking to be solid competition with their remaining Sun Belt foes.

“We have some really tough competition. We played some tough matches, but I think we can be contenders,” freshman Lindsay Truscott said. “I think our team has been working really hard and we can contend with these teams. Hopefully we do well in conference.”

Truscott has been the No. 3 spot player for the Eagles this season since competition play started in January. They will need big matches out of her and the other singles players against Troy and Appalachian State this coming weekend to ensure a higher seed in the Sun Belt Championship.

“It’s a mental thing. Tennis is a very mental sport,” Truscott said. “When you’re down, you need to how to get yourself back up. With your teammates, you all know how to pick each other up and get back to where we were the day before or the match before.”

With every other remaining competition being away, the team will need to channel all their focus ahead.

“Basically, my teammates help me a lot. It’s something you that you got to learn how to do. You have to move on,” Truscott said.

GSU will need to push past Troy and App State to set their sights on a championship. Last season, it was South Alabama that claimed the Sun Belt Championship. Their win over UT Arlington secured their postseason triumph. Although none of the Sun Belt teams on this side of the conference have seen UT Arlington this season, the Mavericks 13-3 record now makes them a contender again. The end of season tournament will give the Eagles their second chance at a Sun Belt Conference championship and another chance for postseason success.

GSU will play Troy on Saturday, April 9 in Boone, NC. They will then play App State that following Sunday, closing out their regular season competition until the Sun Belt Championship starts on April 21.