After defeating No. 1-seed Georgia in the NCAA quarterfinals on Saturday, the Gators couldn’t pull off another upset in the semifinals.
No. 8-seed Florida (23-6) was swept by fifth-seeded UCLA (25-2) 4-0 on Monday afternoon.
“I thought we played great, I really did,” coach Roland Thornqvist said. “But credit (UCLA). They made the shots at the end. I thought we did what we could and I really thought we had chances to win four singles spots going into the match to begin with.”
Before singles play, Florida dropped the doubles point for the second time in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Both doubles matches on Courts 1 and 2 entered tiebreaks, but the Gators were unable to capitalize in both. Sofie Oyen and Belinda Woolcock fell 8-7 (5), followed by an 8-7 (5) loss from Kourtney Keegan and Alexandra Cercone to forfeit the doubles point.
“Our Court 2, for the first twenty minutes, I don’t know where we were,” Thornqvist said. “I mean we were coughing up balls left and right.”
No. 14 Olivia Janowicz lost to No. 8 Jennifer Brady 6-1, 6-1 to begin singles action. Next, UCLA’s No. 2 Robin Anderson defeated No. 16 Brianna Morgan 6-1, 6-3 to take a 3-0 lead over Florida.
“Once it got into the third hour you could feel the match turning a little bit and some of the UCLA players were getting a little more nervous,” Janowicz said. “I feel like if we were out there just a little bit longer the (momentum) could’ve shifted. And we almost made it there, but just not today.”
UCLA’s Kaitlin Ray dropped freshman Keegan 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to complete the sweep and eliminate UF from the tournament.
“It was clearly a learning thing for them,” Thornqvist said of Florida’s freshmen. “If you look at the UCLA team we played two years ago in the finals, we are very similar. And look at where they are now.”
The NCAA singles championship will begin on Wednesday, where Cercone, Morgan and Janowicz are all slated to compete.
The doubles championships will begin on Thursday, with Janowicz, Keegan, Oyen and Woolcock all earning spots.
“(This season) has meant everything,” Janowicz said. “Playing for yourself is totally different and I’m definitely excited, but more than anything I’m more disappointed and sad that I can’t come back and get another championship with my team. That means so much more to me.”
Follow Ian Cohen on Twitter @ibcohen5
Senior Olivia Janowicz swings at the ball during her second-round singles match against FSU freshman Eduarda Dos Santos on Oct. 11, 2013, at the Bedford Cup at the Ring Tennis Complex.
