Gators shut out Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on Thursday
Senior Josie Kuhlman and freshman McCartney Kessler watched closely as the ball was hit back to them from Alabama’s side of the court.
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Senior Josie Kuhlman and freshman McCartney Kessler watched closely as the ball was hit back to them from Alabama’s side of the court.
At the start of a four-match road stretch on March 16, the No. 18 Florida women’s tennis team was in a grove with six consecutive victories. But now, just two matches later, UF is back to square one.
In the Gators’ match against Georgia on Friday, freshman McCartney Kessler watched the rest of her team lose after scoring the lone point for Florida. Against Tennessee on Friday, she made sure it didn’t happen a second time.
With her team down 2-0, Florida freshman McCartney Kessler defeated Mariana Gould and narrowed the Georgia lead. She could only watch helplessly, however, as the Bulldogs sealed UF’s fate.
Right before the Gators faced off against Florida State in Orlando at the beginning of the tennis season, freshman Victoria Emma stated she didn’t consider Florida State much of a rival. She asserted that the SEC was where the real rivalries were, and she named one team in particular: the Georgia Bulldogs.
Striking the ball down the middle of the court, junior Alfredo Perez’s tennis racket slipped from his hands. His opponent, TCU’s Alex Rybakov, gingerly returned the ball to the opposite side of the court.
Last month, the Gators women’s tennis team walked out of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships with a 3-4 record. When it entered its next match against Saint Mary’s on Feb. 23, the defending national champions were unranked.
When freshman Katie Kubicz and senior Peggy Porter found themselves down 5-1 during their doubles match on Sunday, they didn’t panic.
When an errant tennis ball from LSU’s Jessica Golovin fell just outside the boundary of play, senior Josie Kuhlman hit it anyway. By the time it touched the ground on the opposite side of the court, she was already on her way to shake hands with her opponent as the crowd began to cheer.
Senior Anna Danilina, the No. 9 collegiate tennis player in the world, had lost her last three singles matches. In Saturday’s meet against Mississippi State at the A.J Pitts Tennis Centre in Starkville, she was determined to bring her losing streak to a close.
Peggy Porter had been here before.
With a 5-4 record, three true freshmen and the pressure of defending their NCAA championship from last season, the Gators women’s tennis team still has a lot to prove.
Last year, Stanford was defeated by Florida in the NCAA championship match. This year, it hoped to get its revenge.
Florida hadn’t won a meet in which it dropped the doubles point all season. Against Saint Mary’s (4-5), the pairing of senior Josie Kuhlman and freshman McCartney Kessler lost the deciding set in the doubles point, setting up the expectation of UF’s demise.
When the Gators entered the 2018 spring season just eight months removed from winning a national championship, they were the third-ranked team in the nation.
At this time last year, the Florida women’s tennis team remained undefeated at 7-0 after winning the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
In the first round of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships on Friday, Florida’s women’s tennis team defeated Wisconsin in a 5-0 blowout. During the second round of the tournament against Vanderbilt on Saturday, the Gators were on the other end of a shutout.
On Wednesday, Florida women’s tennis player Josie Kuhlman lost the final set in UF’s match against Oklahoma State, clinching the Cowgirls’ victory. At the first round of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships on Friday, she was an integral part of the Gators’ dominant sweep over Wisconsin.
After senior Josie Kuhlman’s heartbreaking loss on Wednesday to hand the Gators their second loss in a row, coach Roland Thornqvist assured that the team’s level of play would be enough to lead it to victory during the season. At the first meet of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships on Friday, Florida will have an imposing first test to see if those words will ring true.
Senior women’s tennis player Josie Kuhlman couldn’t help but feel confident.