Florida Women’s Tennis Hosts Tennessee in SEC Battle

No. 23 Florida women’s tennis is back on the court for another SEC matchup, hosting No. 11 Tennessee on Saturday. 

The Gators are fresh off a decisive 4-0 victory against Kentucky on Thursday. After blanking the Wildcats, Florida moved to 9-3 on the season and 4-2 in SEC play. 

A strong performance in doubles is crucial for the Gators. After losing the doubles point in three straight matches, the Gators finally snagged it with wins from the pair of freshman Lucie Pawlak and graduate student India Houghton and No. 19 nationally-ranked duo senior Xinyi Yong and sophomore Nikola Daubnerova. 

With the Volunteers having two doubles teams ranked in the top 50, it is key for the Gators to come out strong. 

In singles, Florida currently has five nationally-ranked players: sophomore Gabia Paskauskas (No. 26), Daubnerova, junior Valery Gynina (No. 76), Pawlak (No. 88) and Houghton (No. 103). By comparison, the Volunteers have three players listed in the ITA rankings.

The Gators’ strength is in the depth of their lineup. 

Despite being ranked as the 72nd best player in the country, Daubernova often plays in the No. 6 spot for the Gators due to the amount of talent on the roster. The sophomore is currently on her sixth straight singles win for the Gators and posts an overall 12-4 record for the season. 

Florida is poised for success, having already matched last season’s overall and conference win total. With more than a month remaining in the regular season to improve, a win against Tennessee would further boost their momentum. 

The Volunteers are traveling to Gainesville after falling to No. 3 Auburn on the road Thursday in a 4-1 decision. Tennessee is currently 8-3 on the season and matches the Gators’ conference record of 4-2. 

The match is set for an 11:30 a.m. start at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Tennis, SEC, Tennis