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The SEC Women’s Tennis Championship is less than a week away, with three teams vying for the number one seed. Florida, Vanderbilt, and South Carolina are all 10-1 in conference play. And with just two games left in the regular season, the rest of this week is crucial for the Gators.
Finishing Strong
Florida won the National Championship last season, so a strong schedule for this season made a lot of sense. But, losing star seniors, including Belinda Woolcock, forced the team to adjust.
The Gators had a sluggish start to the season, losing 4 of their first 5 matches. Since then, Florida seems to have found its harmony, picking up a slew of wins and only two losses.
Last Saturday, women’s tennis took the win over fifth ranked South Carolina, building their confidence going into this week. Take it from Head Coach Roland Thornqvist.
And they need to be. Tonight, the Gators will take on 23rd ranked Kentucky. On Saturday, they will face third-ranked Vanderbilt, who shut out the Gators 4-0 before conference play.
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SEC Women’s Tennis- By the Numbers
The race to the number one seed is tight, as is common in the Southeastern Conference. Women’s tennis is a bright spot and many teams only have a few losses. But, to lock up the top, Florida could go either way.
After knocking South Carolina from a perfect conference record, Florida looks good. But, the Gators’ one loss was to Georgia, who fell to Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
Vanderbilt is looking dominant to close out the week. The last match the Commodores lost was on March 15… a 4-3 nailbiter against Mississippi State. Since then, they topped their last 6 opponents by a combined score of 24-4. But, their end of season matchups are on the road in Columbia, South Carolina and Gainesville, Florida.
These last-minute games will be the determining factor, considering each top team gets a piece of the other.
Looking Ahead
The Gators host Kentucky tonight at 5 and the Commodores Saturday at 11 AM. Vanderbilt heads to South Carolina tonight, ahead of the match against the Gators. South Carolina will face Kentucky on Saturday after taking on Vanderbilt tonight.
The best news for Florida? Whoever loses out of South Carolina and Vanderbilt tonight will virtually be out of contention for the top spot… so long as the Gators beat the Wildcats.
