Florida Women’s Tennis Starts Conference Play By Sweeping LSU

The No. 19 Florida Gators women’s tennis team broke a five-match losing streak Friday by sweeping the LSU Tigers 4-0 to begin conference play on the road.

Doubles

Heading into this match, the Gators (5-5, 1-0 SEC) had lost their last five doubles points. Florida made its second change of the season to its doubles lineup and came out on top breaking its losing streak against LSU (7-5, 0-1).

Gators junior duo Alicia Dudeney-Bente Spee had played on Court 1 all year. The duo moved to Court 2 after losing four of their last five matches with one going unfinished. Freshman duo Qavia Lopez-Malwina Rowinska played on Court 2 all season, but moved up to Court 1 for this match.

Tonight’s doubles lineup vs. LSU! #GoGators pic.twitter.com/VNrdGW485p

— Gators Women's Tennis (@GatorsWTN) March 1, 2024

On Court 3, Florida’s graduate student and sophomore duo of Carly Briggs-Rachel Gailis had the day’s first win. They beat LSU’s graduate student and redshirt junior duo of Maya Tahan-Gaby Rivera 6-3.

The Tigers won on Court 2 when the graduate student and junior duo Aran Teixidó Garcia-Florentine Dekkers beat Dudeney-Spee 6-2.

All eyes were on Court 1 to see who would walk into singles up 1-0. Lopez-Rowinska had a 3-1 lead on the junior and freshman Tiger duo of Anita Sahdiieva-Kenna Erickson. However, it wouldn’t last long as they went on to tie the match 3-3. They went back-and-forth until the match was tied 5-5. That is when Lopez-Rowinska took over and finished the last two games of the set to win 7-5.

Florida won the doubles point and had a 1-0 lead over LSU.

Gators take the doubles point🐊

We’re headed to singles with a 1-0 lead!#GoGators pic.twitter.com/tEh5X7P1Xd

— Gators Women's Tennis (@GatorsWTN) March 1, 2024

Singles

Gailis took care of business on Court 1 when she gave Dekkers her third loss of the season by beating her 6-4, 6-1, to give the Gators a 2-0 lead. This was her first win in four matches after losing two and having two go unfinished.

On Court 5, Lopez took out Tahan 7-5, 6-3. Lopez improved to 5-1 with four unfinished matches this season. On the other hand, this was Tahan’s second loss of the season and she fell to 6-2 with only one unfinished match.

Great finish for Qavia Lopez ✅

She wins the match 7-5, 6-3!#GoGators pic.twitter.com/QsrCci238h

— Gators Women's Tennis (@GatorsWTN) March 2, 2024

Dudeney would secure the win for Florida after getting her first win in five matches. She had lost four with one going unfinished. Rivera won the first set 6-3, but Dudeney came back swinging winning the second set 6-1. In the final set, Dudeney came out on top 6-2.

The remaining matches went unfinished. On Court 2, Briggs was up on Garcia 1-6, 6-3, 5-2. Florida’s Sara Dahlstrom was up on Court 3 over Sahdiieva 6-4, 6-5. On Court 6 Rowinska was beating Erickson 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 5-0.

Opening conference play with a W! #GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/iwRDXPKYzX

— Gators Women's Tennis (@GatorsWTN) March 2, 2024

Up Next

Florida’s next match is on the road Sunday at College Station to face the  No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies (9-5, 1-0).