Daily Skiff

On the heels of a tough loss to then-No. 38 Duke, the Horned Frogs will try to improve their 5-8 spring record when they play host to No. 25 Virginia Tech on Friday. They will also play Columbia University at home Tuesday before taking time off for Spring Break.

The two matches before Spring Break will be the Horned Frogs' last opponents before conference play begins.

The team will also have to decide how to use its younger players in the second half of the season.

Head Coach Dave Borelli said inexperience is mostly to blame for his team's mixed results. Although the doubles team of sophomore Emanuel Brighiu and junior Adrian Simon is now ranked No. 14 in the country, the Horned Frogs have been unable to consistently win close matches because of questions at the five and six spots, he said.

Kriegler Brink, the team's lone senior, said the team has to stop leaning on its top performers.

"We kind of just rely on the doubles point and on the top three guys who have to win," Brink said. "And luckily they have won. But ... it puts more pressure on (the lower seeds)," he said.

"We just have to win," said freshman Slah Mbarek, who is currently ranked No. 93 in the country. "These games have been close, it has been 4-3, 4-3, 4-3, and we need to have some confidence in ourselves," he said.

Conference play will begin after Spring Break when the Horned Frogs play Brigham Young on April 2 in Salt Lake City.

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