Lauren Embree began the season injured.
Embree, who became the first freshman to earn the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year award last season, entered 2011 ranked No. 4 after finishing the previous year as the No. 9 singles player in the country.
But Embree immediately suffered a severe wrist injury that kept her out of action for the duration of the fall season, sending her spiraling out of the rankings before she ever had a chance to prove herself.
Embree’s surgery kept her from practicing her go-to backhand shot, but she took the rehab time to bring her forehand to a level it had never reached before.
“I just have to kind of regain my confidence, especially with my backhand because that was my best shot,” Embree said on Jan. 26, following her first match back from injury.
It’s safe to say Embree has fully healed and regained her confidence, stepping into the leadership role she was expected to fill on a young Gators team.
“In the beginning, it was a little shaky, and I just wasn’t used to playing matches,” Embree said Saturday after Florida clinched its 19th SEC regular-season title. “[My game] has definitely improved a lot. I feel a lot more comfortable and a lot more confident on the tennis court, which helps a ton.”
Embree still wears tape on her wrist while she plays, and she can be seen stretching it after matches. But her play can hardly be criticized.
She has blazed a path for Florida this spring, going 18-0 in singles. Despite playing mostly at the No. 2 position behind fellow sophomore Allie Will, Embree has worked her way back up to a No. 21 ranking.
Embree will be looking to continue her momentum as the No. 2 Gators (22-1, 11-0 SEC) head into the SEC Tournament, which begins Thursday in Knoxville, Tenn.
Embree certainly isn’t doing everything by herself, though. She is part of a Gators squad that includes six ranked singles players, with top-to-bottom depth more impressive than perhaps any team in the country.
One of those ranked players is Will, who has climbed to a No. 6 national ranking after replacing Embree on Court 1 this season. Will carries a 20-0 career singles record in SEC matches.
“I don’t know if it’s just stepping in,” UF coach Roland Thornqvist said. “I think she proved in the fall she’s one of the better players in the country. We’re fortunate to have two high-profile players that can be dominant at the No. 1 position.”
Florida will lean on Will and Embree, along with junior Joanna Mather, to carry the team as its postseason run begins.
Winning expectations are nothing new for Florida, which has its sights on goals even bigger than an SEC Tournament crown.
“To say that we’ve ever had expectations other than trying to win an SEC championship and at least have a chance on the national stage is just lying to yourself,” Thornqvist said. “That’s why I came here. I wanted to have the bull’s-eye on our back. Our players cherish that challenge. That’s why they’re here. They want to win championships, and they want to raise trophies.”
