Florida set a new record on Friday, but it was probably one it is not too proud of.
For the first time in program history, the Gators were eliminated before reaching the Southeastern Conference tournament semifinals.
No. 8 Texas A&M (19-5) upset No. 4 Florida (19-5) 4-3 in a rematch of an earlier regular-season meeting.
The Gators swept the Aggies 4-0 in the matchup on Feb. 28, winning all but one singles match in straight sets.
That was not the case over the weekend, as TAMU grabbed the doubles point and captured the necessary three single matches to keep its championship hopes alive.
Florida had its fair share of chances despite losing the doubles point. At one point, it led 2-1, and at another juncture, it held a 3-2 advantage.
But sophomore Brianna Morgan, playing on Court 1, was unable to gain an edge on No. 11 Cristina Stancu and ceded the match point to the Aggies.
“The scores were telling,” coach Roland Thornqvist said. “We won one set that went past 4-0 in singles. But even on the courts where we had opportunities, we didn’t take advantage of them.”
Florida, the four-time defending SEC champions, fell to 69-8 all time in SEC Tournament play. It also lost the doubles point for the sixth time this year, falling to 1-5 when losing the doubles point.
“We’ve worked quite a bit on becoming less predictable in our doubles play,” Thornqvist said.
“We’ve won a lot of trophies here by being durable in singles play, being consistent and perhaps on the conservative side in singles. So I think that’s hurt us a little bit in our doubles play the past few years. Although we don’t want to abandon what we’re trying to do in singles, we do need to be more unpredictable in our doubles play.”
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Brianna Morgan swings at the ball during Florida’s 4-0 win against Harvard on Jan. 26 at the Ring Tennis Complex.
