Florida always came to mind for Nicholson when thinking of where she wanted to go. The former Georgia Tech player faced the Gators twice in her last season as a Yellow Jacket. Ranked the No. 16 player in the country, Nicholson took a surprising three-set loss to Xinyi Nong in the round of 32 at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southeast Regionals last October.
Fueled by close, hard-fought victories, Florida showed just how far it could go when riding serious momentum, finishing the season with a 17-8 record that nearly doubled last year’s win total.
UF remained a consistent top-25 program throughout the season, posted a winning record and amassed numerous top-100 players. Concluding 2026 with a 17-14 overall record and 6-8 in the Southeastern Conference, Florida’s season was defined by competitive play, SEC struggles and dominant victories.
No. 17 Florida fell 4-2 to the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines on Sunday in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Though Ganesan pushed on early and attempted to avenge UF’s early-season – and last season’s second-round NCAA Tournament loss – to No. 15 UCF (22-6, 5-3 Big 12), No. 19 Florida (17-14, 6-8 SEC) fell flat in its final game of the 2025-26 season, 4-3, in Lake Nona, Florida.
UF (17-7) routed the Toledo Rockets (13-9), 4-0, on Saturday to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Entering its 35th NCAA Tournament appearance, No. 19 Florida (17-13, 6-8 SEC) dominated Stetson University (14-7, 1-2 ASUN) 5-0 in the first round as the Gators swept all courts in Orlando.
After taking the first set and dropping the second, Lucie Pawlak stands at 4-4 in the third. With her teammates cheering from the sidelines and the crowd intensely watching on Saturday, Feb. 28, the freshman Florida tennis player carries the weight of the team’s result on her shoulders.
Tennis, a sport often called the “sport of kings” due to its origins among nobility, is known for its quiet, calm environment. Players often let the slams of their rackets and squeaks of their shoes do the talking.
But those hopes were cut short as No. 1 Texas (22-6, 12-2 SEC) delivered a powerful singles portion, taking down No. 19 Florida (16-13, 6-8 SEC) 4-2 on Friday at the Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas.
The No. 6-seed Florida Gators fell 4-1 to the No. 3-seed Auburn Tigers on Friday in Norman, Oklahoma, in the second round of the SEC Championship.
Eighteen matches ago, Florida started its Southeastern Conference play against Auburn and quickly fell in doubles play. That same momentum carried over into singles action, leading to a 6-1 UF defeat.
The No. 6-seed Florida Gators claimed a 4-0 victory over the No. 14-seed Arkansas Razorbacks 4-0 on Thursday in Norman, Oklahoma, to open the SEC Championship.
Behind the senior-driven energy, the No. 17 Florida Gators (14-6, 9-5 SEC) defeated the Missouri Tigers (12-16, 0-14 SEC) 4-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Alfred A. Ring tennis complex.
Early, the No. 36 Arkansas Razorbacks were able to seize momentum, capturing the doubles point to begin competition. But the Gators bounced back, crushing the Razorbacks in singles play en route to a 4-1 victory.
Solutions by The State News
