The expectations surrounding Florida’s freshman class should be backbreaking.
The Gators women’s tennis team, coming off an appearance in the NCAA team title match last spring, have played at least two of the three freshmen among the six starting singles spots in every match this year.
In addition to the expectations of playing for the nation’s No. 2 team, these rookies are following a freshman class that included two of the most successful players in UF’s history.
Sophomore Lauren Embree became the first freshman to be named the Southeastern Conference’s Player of the Year last season, while Allie Will won the SEC Freshman of the Year award. Embree was also crowned the ITA National Rookie of the Year last spring.
While being thrown into the fire so quickly could be overwhelming, Alex Cercone, Sofie Oyen and Olivia Janowicz have been able to perform at the top of their game throughout the early stages of the dual match season.
The three had their toughest test last weekend, as they braved their first road trip. While Cercone said the road matches were a rough experience, the freshmen managed to perform well under pressure and helped the Gators come away with big wins over then-No. 4 North Carolina and then-No. 6 Duke.
They will face an even tougher test today as the ITA National Indoor Championships kick off in Charlottesville, Va.
The Gators will need Cercone, Oyen and Janowicz to step up during the tournament, as 16 of the top 25 teams in the country will be competing in the Championships.
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Cercone’s road to Florida was the most unique of all the freshmen, and her career at UF almost never began.
Cercone and Embree formed a friendship even before high school, when they played junior tennis. Cercone said the two became closest when they spent three weeks playing a tournament in Australia.
The two had a constant rivalry in juniors, as Embree was usually ranked No. 1 in the age group with Cercone at No. 2.
When Embree aged out of the group, Cercone moved up to the top spot. Eleven months later, she was once again behind Embree as she turned another year older.
But following Embree to UF wasn’t always the plan for Cercone. As recently as her sophomore and junior years of high school, she wasn’t really considering the Gators.
But a strong recruiting effort by coach Roland Thornqvist made Cercone think twice about her dreams of playing for a school far away from Florida.
“There was just no other school that I saw myself being more comfortable at,” she said.
Having the connection to Embree at UF made Cercone’s decision easier, but it isn’t hard to see why she might not have considered the Gators at first. Her sister, Nicole, played tennis at Florida State, and as a top-five recruit, Cercone was courted by several schools.
Cercone said Thornqvist effectively utilized her and Embree’s friendship without making it an overpowering part of the recruitment.
“I would talk to Lauren about the recruitment and tell her about which schools I was visiting and which coaches were calling me because I was comfortable with her as a close friend,” Cercone said.
“But she would always make sure to mention that Florida was better than those other schools in the end,” she added, smiling.
When Embree was asked about Cercone’s path to Florida, she agreed it was fortunate they eventually got to team up.
“We were always two of the top Florida kids when we were younger,” Embree said, “and it’s awesome that we ended up at the same school.”
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Another freshman whose path to Florida wasn’t always a sure thing is Oyen. As the top-ranked under-18 player in Belgium, it would have been easy for her to overlook the Gators.
Working through about eight years of travel tennis in Europe led Oyen to the No. 1 ranking, and when colleges came calling, more than 30 American universities contacted her.
Ultimately, Oyen said her decision came down to Florida or Duke. But after Thornqvist traveled to Holland to watch Oyen compete in a tournament, she couldn’t choose against the Gators.
While many foreign players have trouble leaving their families and adjusting to American college life, Oyen said her years in travel tennis helped prepare her for the transition.
Her experiences have helped her adjust to not seeing her parents in the stands, and she has been encouraged by her teammates’ families who come out to support the Gators.
While Oyen was regarded as a top talent among incoming freshmen on a national scale, Thornqvist said her confidence and perseverance have propelled her to success.
Playing on Court 3 for the Gators, Oyen suffered back-to-back singles losses last week but rebounded strongly by beating a ranked opponent against Duke.
“I was disappointed at first,” she said, “but then I was like, ‘There’s the next match right away.’ I was ready for it.”
Florida will need its freshmen to keep playing strong to help avenge its 1-2 record in the Indoor Championships last year. Winning the tournament, something last year’s freshmen weren’t able to accomplish, should be enough motivation for the Gators’ young players.
“Last year couldn’t have been much worse for us,” Embree said.
But Cercone, Oyen and Janowicz know what they’re heading into, how important the event is for the team and that they have the full support and confidence of Florida’s leaders.
“They all work hard and are extremely talented for such young players,” junior Joanna Mather said. “And they all play like they’re older, which is what we need.”
