As the scoreboard changed from five to six, Florida State’s Ariana Rahmanparast celebrated. She’d just clinched a decisive singles victory over Florida’s Katie Kubicz, ending a seven-match losing streak for the Seminoles against the Gators.
Unranked FSU (3-2, 1-0 ACC) shocked No. 3 UF (2-1) on Saturday, defeating Florida 4-1 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Florida State began the match fast, taking the opening point after winning two of the three doubles matches played. It continued its assault into singles play, winning two matches in a row before clinching.
The Gators only found victory twice on the courts. The tandem of senior Anna Danilina and freshman Victoria Emma defeated FSU’s Petra Hule and Andrea Garcia 6-4 during doubles competition. A 6-4 defeat for the UF duo of Kubicz and senior Peggy Porter, however, gave the Seminoles a 1-0 lead.
In singles play, senior Josie Kuhlman defeated her opponent, Gabriella Castaneda, 6-3, 6-3, in the lone individual victory of the night for UF. Kuhlman’s win came with her team already down 3-0, and a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, defeat for Kubicz against Rahmanparast shortly after gave FSU its second win against Florida in program history. The Seminoles’ last win against the Gators came back on Feb. 28, 2009. The all-time series between the two teams now stands at 55-2.
Two UF plays — Danilina and freshman McCartney Kessler — did not finish their singles matches. Danilina was up a set and engaged in a tiebreaker when her match was stopped, while Kessler was trailing her opponent 4-2 in a third set.
The Gators next match will be against No. 18 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Oklahoma this coming Wednesday.
Follow River Wells on Twitter @riverhwells and contact him at rwells@alligator.org.
Senior Anna Danilina — along with teammate Victoria Emma — defeated Florida State's Petra Hule and Andrea Garcia on Saturday in doubles competition between the Gators And Seminoles. FSU ultimately defeated UF 4-1, ending a seven-match losing streak against the in-state rival.
