After winning back-to-back national titles, the Gators are thinking dynasty.
Senior Lauren Embree and junior Sofie Oyen hope to lead the No. 1 Florida women’s tennis team to a third consecutive national championship this season.
UF’s quest begins against USF today at 3 p.m. in Linder Stadium.
“I couldn’t even imagine winning another national championship,” Embree said. “Winning two was amazing and special, but winning a third would be unbelievable.
Oyen added: “Every year, we are tougher and stronger, so we’ll see how it plays out.”
UF has three players in the top 25 with No. 1 Oyen, No. 5 Embree and No. 22 Danielle Collins.
No. 66 Brianna Morgan, No. 82 Caroline Hitimana and No. 114 Olivia Janowicz will also be key contributors.
Freshmen Collins and Morgan will be competing in their first dual matches as Gators, and Oyen will be paired with Morgan in doubles.
Last season, Oyen paired with Allie Will, who turned professional in July. Oyen said playing with a freshman in doubles will be challenging due to the experience gap. But Oyen said the pair should be good enough to get the job done.
The team returned every player in 2012, and the pressure to repeat was burdensome for coach Roland Thornqvist. But he feels better this time around.
“This year has got a little different feel to it,” he said. “We feel lighter with no pressure on us, and it’s kind of nice.”
Following today’s opener, Florida plays Wednesday against UCF before a challenging February stretch. UF takes on No. 15 Baylor, No. 3 Duke, No. 8 North Carolina, No. 20 Clemson and No. 5 Stanford.
“It helps playing all of these great teams early in the season,” Embree said. “When you get to the [NCAA Tournament], you kind of know what to expect, so it should help us in our favor.”
Senior Lauren Embree hits a ball in Linder Stadium. Embree won her singles match against Alabama in straight sets on Friday.
