Florida Women’s Tennis Faces Two Tough SEC Opponents

The Gator Women’s Tennis Team is back on the home court this weekend, facing two tough SEC opponents.  Florida will take on No. 19 ranked University of Kentucky Thursday followed by No. 5 ranked Vanderbilt on Saturday. This should be a competitive weekend considering that Florida sits at No. 18 in this weeks rankings.

Gators sit at #18 in this week's rankings. #19 Kentucky on Thursday and #5 Vanderbilt on Saturday at the Ring. https://t.co/8W6GQU9d1j

— Gators Women's Tennis (@GatorsWTN) March 8, 2016

The Gators began SEC matchups last week. Florida picked up their 100th SEC win at the Ring Tennis Complex as they defeated Arkansas, 7-0 on Thursday. The Gators earned another home victory on Saturday defeating Missouri, 6-1, where sophomore Peggy Porter, pushed through to clinch the singles match victory for Florida.

Florida’s Head coach Roland Thornquist, refers to the SEC as a “gauntlet” and says that Thursday’s match should not be overlooked. The Kentucky Wildcats might just be one of the most improved teams in the league. The Wildcats (11-2) feature the duo of Mami Adachi and Aldila Sutjiadi who are ranked as the No. 5 doubles team in the country. This pair will be competitive against Florida’s No. 7-ranked duo of Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan. The Gators are slated to take on the Wildcats at 5 p.m.

Next up, Florida is anticipating to match-up against NCAA champions, The Vanderbilt Commodores. The ‘Dores boast a 8-2 season record with a winning record in singles. Vandy’s highest ranked student athlete, Frances Atlick stands undefeated in the dual season with a 6-0 record. Florida will take on Vanderbilt at noon Saturday.