As FIU’s Andrea Lazaro let out another chilling shriek, all eyes turned to center court.
Lazaro and Belinda Woolcock began a tiebreaker match, going back and forth repeatedly — four all, five all, six all. Just as Woolcock was about to serve another game point, the match ended and the game was called.
And while Florida blanked FIU 4-0 on Sunday to win the ITA Kick-Off Championship, it was this kind of tough, competitive play that coach Roland Thornqvist was particularly excited to see.
“Something I was happy with is that we had to go deep in some sets on almost every court,” Thornqvist said. “That’s exactly what we need with our trip coming up to California.”
The Gators (2-0) will now focus their attention toward this weekend as they prepare to play No. 18 Southern California on Friday and No. 3 Pepperdine on Saturday. Florida plans to take what it learned from the grueling match on Sunday and use it as a point of emphasis in practice this week before leaving for California on Wednesday.
“We’re going to have our hands full both days, so you need to feel like you’re sort of in the fight, if you will. And FIU really made us feel like that after (Sunday’s) match,” Thornqvist said.
The Gators will continue to use their depth as an asset in practice, competing with each other routinely to help determine a lineup, acquire new skills and prepare to compete against some of the top players in the country.
“When we practice against our teammates, you almost feel like your teammates are better than some of the people you’re going to go out and play. I just really love that,” freshman Ingrid Neel said. “We practice super hard, and we want to win, and we just want to make each other better. That’ll pay dividends in the end.”
Woolcock said that her teammates approach these internal competitions with respect for each other, aiming to help one another improve their play. It’s this Florida-first mentality that Thornqvist is happy with, especially this early in the season.
“From what I saw this weekend, it was a lot of unselfish behavior, a lot of putting Florida first, and that’s really neat,” he said. “A bunch of young women coming together and playing for something greater than themselves, and I’m hoping that that’s going to translate into a formidable team down the road.”
Florida strives to continue its proficient start to the season this weekend in California before heading to the National Team Indoor Championships Feb. 10-13. Despite the challenges ahead, the Gators are optimistic about their team.
“I think we’re pretty confident going in there,” Thornqvist said, “feeling like we have a good product when we travel, and we’re going to give them hell.”
Contact Spencer Thompson at sthompson@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @spencemthompson.
Belinda Woolcock returns a ball during a ball during Florida's win against South Florida on Jan. 27 at the Ring Tennis Complex.
