Monte Tucker does not get the chance to go home that often, but when he does, it is a time to celebrate.

This weekend, Tucker, a sophomore on the Illinois men’s tennis team, hopes to punctuate his return to Alabama with several victories on the tennis court.

Tucker, sophomore Brandon Davis and freshman Marc Spicijaric will compete at the Crimson Tide Fall Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

“They are going to be tested this weekend,” Illinois head coach Brad Dancer said. “It will be a good opportunity to see where they are.”

All three of the men played last weekend at the Napa Valley Invitational and are looking to improve on their results.

“I’m feeling confident,” Spicijaric said. “I know there are things that I could improve on from last weekend.”

Unlike last weekend, though, the Illini are traveling with a much smaller squad.

All three of the men are expecting to get a lot of individual attention this weekend. They all are looking forward to work more closely with Dancer, Davis said.

“With a smaller group, you get to focus on individual things,” Davis said. “And you get to work on things more in-depth.”

The only drawback for traveling in a smaller group is that the Illini will have less people supporting them at their matches. During the spring season, the Atkins Tennis Center usually reaches near-capacity at every match.

But the Illini are expecting Joe and Rella Tucker – Monte’s parents – to represent the orange and blue.

This weekend will also give the team’s lone freshman, Spicijaric, who is an aggressive baseliner, a chance to get to know his new teammates better.

“It’s less hectic than last weekend when the whole team traveled,” Spicijaric said. “And, it’s a lot more relaxing.”

Still, the tournament will be challenging.

With the exception of Tucker, few of the Illini have seen any of their opponents play before.

Spicijaric said, however, he is not nervous.

“Seeing a new player is nothing really new to me,” Spicijaric said. “I’ll adjust to how they play during the match, and if I see them later (in the season) I’ll have a strategy.”

Tucker, who grew up playing against several of the Alabama athletes, said he is excited about showing how much he has improved since he began competing for the Illini.

Tucker could see a familiar face, and competitor this weekend in Alabama’s Taylor Striplin.

Both men are from Birmingham, Ala., and grew up playing against each other. Striplin has been ranked as high as No.1 in the state of Alabama. Tucker was the Alabama Player of the Year in 2002.

“It’ll be just like in juniors,” Tucker said. “We’ll hate each other while we’re out there and be best friends again later.”