The UF women's tennis team continued its reign of dominance over the Southeastern Conference with a 7-0 home victory over Mississippi State at Linder Stadium on Sunday.
The No. 1 Gators won all three doubles matches and never looked back, dominating on every singles courts en route to the victory, their 20th straight in regular-season conference play and their 99th consecutive win at home, not including the postseason.
"It was really nice to play at home, in front of our fans and in this weather," UF coach Roland Thornqvist said. "I feel like we've been traveling here, there and everywhere. ... It makes us better, really."
Although the Gators (17-1, 6-0 SEC) rested two of their normal starters in the singles lineup, they were still able to completely dismantle the overwhelmed Bulldogs (2-10, 0-6 SEC), capping off an impressive weekend of conference action.
Florida was in cruise control in a 7-0 win over No. 29 Ole Miss on Friday, and Sunday's win was the team's fifth shutout in league play. The Gators have outscored this season's six SEC opponents 37-1.
Sophomore Brittany Borsanyi played for just the second time this spring, stepping in on Court 6 and winning in an unorthodox way.
After dominating Mississippi State's Jordan Zachary in a 6-0 first set, Zachary elected to retire the match, giving Borsanyi a one-set victory.
"Brittany playing 6 for us, she works very hard with a great attitude every day in practice," Thornqvist said. "On most teams in the country she would have a spot in the lineup, but on this team, unfortunately for her, she's not a regular player for us. "
No singles matchup gave Florida much of a sweat, as the other five Gators won their matches in straight sets.
The highlights of the afternoon came when junior Joanna Mather and freshman Alex Cercone notched victories while playing in career-high positions.
Mather toppled Mariia Ryzhova 6-1, 6-0 in her first career match on Court 2. Meanwhile, Cercone beat Danielle Terpko, 6-3, 6-2, in her first appearance on Court 3.
"I just looked at it like any other match," Mather said. "Roland always makes sure we're really professional about doing the little things, and I think that's what gets us through each match."
That professionalism is something that has become more and more instilled in Thornqvist's team throughout the season. Thornqvist said he hardly has any issues with keeping his players motivated, even when they are winning with ease.
"There are unspoken goals for these players deep into the season," Thornqvist said. "That's what you want out of your team, to get better and more cohesive and continue to improve regardless of whether you win or lose, or regardless of whether it's close or not, you want to continue to get better every week."
