Coach Roland Thornqvist described this weekend’s matches against Ole Miss and Mississippi State as “another weekend in the SEC.” However, there’s more to it than that.
This weekend marks Florida’s last home matches of the regular season. Therefore, Sunday will be the last time seniors Belinda Woolcock, Kourtney Keegan and Spencer Liang play at the Ring Tennis Complex for Florida.
Combined, the trio boasts a 128-42 record in singles play. Keegan will leave Florida with at least one national championship after she and junior Brooke Austin won the NCAA doubles title last season. However, coach Thornqvist said it’s about more than wins and losses.
“Three players who have graced us with not just a lot of wins but professionalism,” he said. “The human side to all three of them is something that we’re going to miss greatly.”
An example of this came at what was perhaps the team’s darkest moment this season. Down 3-1 against Georgia, the match on Court 6 between Keegan and UGA’s Mariana Gould was winding down. It was the clincher for Georgia, as Gould narrowly beat Keegan 6-2, 7-6 (5) to hand the Gators their first and only loss of the season and end their historic home-winning streak.
After that match, the umpire told Thornqvist that he had never seen a player lose with more Grace than Keegan did.
“Those are words you, as a coach, just love hearing,” he said. “And I think that goes for all three of them.”
Keegan and Woolcock have been instrumental this season with singles records of 8-1 and 9-3, respectively. Woolcock has especially helped the Gators in doubles, as she and her partner, Josie Kuhlman, own a 15-2 record.
Although Liang hasn’t played as much this season, she’s been the team’s go-to next player up. Thornqvist praised her attitude and professionalism as she helped last weekend, going in for a flu-ridden Anna Danilina.
While the Gators still have two remaining regular-season matches following this weekend, Thornqvist said Sunday will be very emotional.
“They’ve been great leaders,” he said. “They’ve been great in the locker room, great in the community, great in the student body here, great in the student-athlete community…. They’ve done so much for us, so Sunday’s going to be very bittersweet.”
Contact Spencer Thompson at sthompson@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @spencemthompson.
UF's Kourtney Keegan hits a forehand during Florida's 4-2 win against Oklahoma State on Feb. 18, 2017, at the Ring Tennis Complex.
