Florida’s dominance at home is nothing new.
The No. 6 women’s tennis team finished undefeated in regular-season home matches, like it has every year since 2004.
UF is on a 157-match winning streak at the Ring Tennis Complex, good for the longest active home winning streak in the country.
But what’s even more impressive is Florida’s 9-0 Southeastern Conference record.
And of all the teams left on its schedule, only two pose a threat to blemish UF’s intraconference perfection.
One of them is No. 14 Auburn. The other is No. 4 Georgia, the last SEC team to beat Florida at home back on April 7, 2002.
The other two, Alabama and Tennessee, are sitting at the bottom of the conference standings with 0-9 and 1-8 records, respectively.
But rather than viewing this road trip as a test, Florida coach Roland Thornqvist wants to use it as a chance for his team to grow. Specifically, he wants UF to improve its physical endurance over the course of a match.
"The last few weeks, I really feel like we are getting stronger, and the team believes that we’re fitter," Thornqvist said. "You can see that in our play."
Depth and balance have also been evident in Florida’s play, starting with Josie Kuhlman.
The sophomore has clinched three matches this season against three top-25 opponents, in addition to every Gator clinching at least one match.
Two of Kuhlman’s clinches came from indoor matches, where she played on the fifth court to win the match for the Gators.
"The last two weeks, I’m buying some Josie stock. I said that to somebody the other day. She’s moving better. This weekend was the best I’ve seen her move all year her sophomore year," Thornqvist said. "She’s got a look in the eye."
Nearing postseason play, Thornqvist also praised his team’s overall play in addition to Kuhlman’s, noting that the team has played well in both doubles and singles.
Florida takes the court on Friday in Tuscaloosa against Alabama at 6 p.m. for the first of its four-match season-ending road trip.
Contact Jake Dreilinger at jdreilinger@alligator.org and you can follow him on Twitter @DreilingerJake.
UF women’s tennis coach Roland Thornqvist smiles during introductions prior to Florida’s win over USF on Jan. 27, 2016, at the Ring Tennis Complex.
