With two sophomores playing at the top of the lineup, one junior who sees regular playing time and no seniors on the roster, one might expect the Florida women’s team to get rattled on the road.
But the No. 2 Gators (7-0) had their most impressive stretch of the season over the weekend, toppling No. 4 North Carolina on Saturday and No. 6 Duke on Sunday.
The team carried momentum from its 5-2 win over the Tar Heels into Durham, N.C., with a furious pace, resulting in a 4-2 victory against the Blue Devils.
With his team fresh off two wins over undefeated opponents, coach Roland Thornqvist said this was about as tough as it could get for the Gators.
“We had three freshmen go out there this weekend and got tossed into the fire for the first time,” he said.
While the freshmen had mixed results over the weekend, Thornqvist said he wasn’t panicking about his young players and thought the experience would help in the long run.
Freshman Sofie Oyen, ranked No. 96 in singles, rebounded after two straight losses to upset No. 71 Elizabeth Plotkin of Duke.
The other two freshmen, Alex Cercone and Olivia Janowicz, lost in singles but were carried by the Gators’ leaders.
No. 7 Allie Will, a sophomore, continued her dominance on Court 1, beating No. 25 Nadine Fahoum in straight sets a day after topping No. 13 Zoe De Bruycker of UNC.
Junior Joanna Mather clinched the victory with her second straight three-set win, leaving sophomore Lauren Embree’s match against No. 4 Reka Zsilinszka unfinished with the two tied at one set apiece.
“Allie, Joanna and Lauren all play at an elite level and make clutch decisions late in matches,” Thornqvist said. “That poise is what you need on the road.”
The Gators will now head into a short week of preparation for the ITA National Indoor Championships, which kick off Friday in Charlottesville, Va.
“We scheduled this trip to get some meat on our bones,” Thornqvist said. “We learned some things, won two tough matches and we’re ready to compete.”
