After a brief break in the schedule, Florida is ready to continue its winning streak.
Beginning today, the top-seeded No. 2 Gators (4-0) will compete in a three-day tournament at the National Team Indoors in Charlottesville, Va. They play 14th-ranked host Virginia (3-0) in the opening round.
Coming off a road win at Baylor’s indoor facility, Florida feels confident about its chances this weekend.
“I actually told the team after playing at Baylor that I felt really good about this team playing indoors,” coach Roland Thornqvist said. “Some years, I’ve had some butterflies in my stomach when we had to move in to play, but this team is different. They like hitting the ball. They like playing shorter points.”
In past years, Florida has relied on its athleticism to beat teams outside in the humid weather, playing longer matches to tire their opponents. However, practicing in the team’s indoor facility has benefited their match play recently. Thornqvist hopes the trend continues.
“It’s nice to have our own indoor facility,” Thornqvist said. “We hit the ball a little flatter and with a little more pop, which translates to better play indoors on quicker surfaces.”
Playing indoors on Saturday, senior Alexandra Cercone hit a milestone, winning her 100th career singles match. She joins senior Olivia Janowicz as the only active Gator to reach the mark and became the 25th player to join the 100-win club in school history.
“[Alex] has worked very, very hard in her approach and any time you reach the 100-win platform, it’s remarkable,” Thornqvist said. “She’s been remarkably consistent throughout her four years here.”
Cercone and the Gators will compete alongside the other 15 teams that qualified for the National Team Indoors, all of which are ranked in the top 20. Florida will play the fourth dual match of the day at 6:30 p.m.
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Alex Cercone prepares for a forehand during Florida’s 4-0 win against Louisville on Jan. 25. Cercone clinched Florida's 4-1 win against Oklahoma State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
