The No. 2 women’s tennis team opened up dual-match play Wednesday with a 7-0 victory over UCF.
Playing in front of a home crowd at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex, the Gators dominated the overmatched Knights.
The season opener marked the return to singles action for sophomore Lauren Embree, who missed the entire fall season due to a left wrist injury that required surgery.
Embree was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and the ITA’s National Rookie of the Year in 2010.
Embree showed well, beating UCF’s Alexis Rodriguez (6-2, 7-5) in singles and teaming with junior Joanna Mather to top UCF’s No. 44 pair of Courtney Griffith and Genevieve Lorbergs (8-6).
Embree was satisfied with her first performance back from injury, saying she had been itching to play over the last few days.
“My coaches told me that it was my first time back, so there was no pressure,” Embree said.
“I just have to kind of regain my confidence, especially with my backhand because that was my best shot.”
Coach Roland Thornqvist also expressed pride in Embree and was happy with how his team performed in its first match.
“We saw a little bit of jitters here and there, but I thought we played our way out of some jams, which is always nice to see,” he said.
Thornqvist was careful to mention Embree’s gradual return, and the recovery process could make her a better overall player.
“Clearly she’s not playing as well as she would like, and she’s not playing right now as well as she will eventually,” he said. “But you sort of have to walk before you run.”
Florida’s highly touted freshman class dominated, as No. 22 Olivia Janowicz, No. 28 Alex Cercone and No. 96 Sofie Oyen all won their singles matches, helping the Gators sweep singles play.
The other wins in singles action came when No. 7 Allie Will defeated Jenny Frisell (6-1, 6-0) and Caroline Hitimana beat Josephine Haraldson (6-0, 6-2).
The highlight of the doubles action was the No. 1 pair of Will and Oyen topping UCF’s Rodriguez and Frisell (8-1).
When asked about the dynamic between Will and herself, Oyen said Will’s power complements her own ability to play the volley, making them a tough matchup for most opponents.
“We’re No. 1, but that means nothing actually,” she said. “If you lose, you lose, and if you win, you win. We just try to play our best game.”
