Over a thousand swings were taken in Sunday’s match, but for Florida, it came down to just one during the last singles match of the day.
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.
Like a lion spotting his prey, McClain Kessler’s eyes widened as the ball slowly dropped in front of him. The junior called off his doubles partner, freshman Duarte Vale, and spiked the ball over the net with a loud grunt.
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.
The Florida men’s tennis team returns to conference play for its second match in three days.
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.
After a weekend road trip, the No. 12 Florida men’s tennis team returns to its home court to play No. 32 TCU on Wednesday. The midweek matchup is set to begin at 6 p.m. at the Ring Tennis Complex.
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.
After a disappointing match March 9 against Mississippi State, the Florida men’s tennis team regrouped in Auburn on Sunday to win 6-1 over the Tigers.
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.
The No. 9 Florida men’s tennis team started strong Friday against Mississippi State but could not finish in singles play, resulting in a loss to the Bulldogs 5-2.
The weather in Gainesville coming into Sunday’s Tennessee-Florida men’s tennis matchup was a brisk 70 degrees with a calm wind and blue skies. But the weather wasn’t the coolest part of the match.
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.
Freshman Oliver Crawford wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath before his serve. The crowd chanted, coaches shouted orders and teammates clamored with words of encouragement.
After a month of indoor play, the Florida men's tennis team is ready to get back outside and welcome No. 17 Georgia and No. 25 Tennessee to Gainesville. The Gators and Bulldogs will continue their annual rivalry today at 6 p.m. at the Ring Tennis Complex. Tennessee will follow on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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.
The current state of the SEC’s race for the top-four seeds in the conference tournament, which runs from March 7 to 11, is wide open.
Solutions by The State News
