Heading into last weekend, Florida women’s tennis coach Roland Thornqvist knew he needed to get his team prepared.
The No. 15 Gators (7-2, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) were coming off two close 4-3 defeats at the hands of then-No. 1 California and then-No. 16 Stanford. But what was ahead was something the team needed to be ready for.
It was the start of SEC play — something Thornqvist described as a "gauntlet."
"This SEC schedule now, I think we have seven or eight, maybe even more top 30 teams, and you just have to be ready," Thornqvist said. "In SEC play, even when the teams aren’t ranked high, they’re ready. They fight, they yell. That’s what makes the SEC."
The SEC will be a challenge for the Gators, but history has shown that Florida can compete at the highest level. Since the 2011 Spring season, Florida has gone undefeated twice, held a 12-1 record twice and held a 11-2 record once.
This season, seven other teams rank in the top 25 in No. 7 Georgia, No. 8 Vanderbilt, No. 9 LSU, No. 12 South Carolina, No. 14 Texas A&M, No. 17 Kentucky and No. 25 Mississippi State.
In non-conference play, UF has already faced four top-25 teams in then-No. 4 Southern California, then-No. 20 Clemson, then-No. 1 California and then-No. 16 Stanford.
Florida swept USC and Clemson 7-0.
The California and Stanford losses were the first true tests for the Gators. And their next pair comes this weekend.
"The defending national champion," Thornqvist said of UF’s March 12 matchup vs. Vanderbilt. "And first, perhaps the most improved team in the league in Kentucky. We got to make sure we don’t overlook the Thursday match because we’re so preoccupied with the rematch with Vandy. We got to be on our p’s and q’s from the get-go this weekend."
This test, though, will be at home, where the Gators have a 201-1 record against SEC opponents and are on a 153-home dual-match winning streak.
The Gators will see four more ranked opponents at the Ring Tennis Complex when they face Kentucky, Vanderbilt, LSU and Texas A&M this season.
Florida will also look to extend its doubles-point streak, where it has yet to drop the doubles point this season — an effort that could prove beneficial this weekend.
Led by the No. 7 tandem of sophomore Brooke Austin and junior Kourtney Keegan and the No. 19 duo of sophomore Josie Kuhlman and junior Belinda Woolcock, getting an early lead over SEC opponents could give UF the edge it needs to secure wins.
"In general, we hit the ball harder and in doubles that just allows us to play a little bit more aggressive," Thornqvist said. "You need to be able to create, you can’t defend. If you defend, you can’t win."
Contact Jake Dreilinger at jdreilinger@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @DreilingerJake.
UF women’s tennis coach Roland Thornqvist smiles during introductions prior to Florida’s win over USF on Jan. 27, 2016, at the Ring Tennis Complex.
