When an errant tennis ball from LSU’s Jessica Golovin fell just outside the boundary of play, senior Josie Kuhlman hit it anyway. By the time it touched the ground on the opposite side of the court, she was already on her way to shake hands with her opponent as the crowd began to cheer.
Florida defeated LSU (10-2, 1-1 SEC) in its second consecutive sweep, beating the Tigers 4-0. The match marked UF’s return to the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, its first home match in 40 days.
The Gators (8-4, 2-0 SEC) appear to be erasing the woes it had during doubles play earlier in the season, as they won their third doubles point in a row.
LSU struck first, defeating the duo of freshman Victoria Emma and senior Anna Danilina 6-3. UF quickly rebounded, however, with freshman Katie Kubicz and senior Peggy Porter winning 6-3. Kuhlman and freshman McCartney Kessler clinched the Gators' third doubles point in a row, winning 6-2. Florida’s doubles streak comes after a four-game run where they lost the doubles point.
"I think there were a lot of positives," coach Roland Thorqvist said. "One was the play of our number three doubles team. We had been playing well there so I was happy to see that we could get a 'W' – they certainly deserved it.”
In singles play, Florida started off strong. Kubicz quickly defeated LSU’s Ashton Rabalis, dominating the second set and winning 6-3, 6-0. With the Gators up 2-0, Porter followed up on Kubicz’s success, winning her match 6-3, 6-2 and giving Florida a three-point lead. Kuhlman delivered the 6-3, 6-4 clincher shortly afterward and led UF to its fifth consecutive win.
"Overall, I think our play in singles was really, really good,” Thornqvist said. “We're getting the most out of them right now and I'm really happy for them because they've put in a lot of work."
The Gators will stay at home for their next match in SEC play. They’ll face off against Texas A&M at 1 p.m.
Follow River Wells on Twitter @riverhwells and contact him at rwells@alligator.org.
Senior Josie Kuhlman clinched the match against LSU Friday night with a 6-3, 6-4 win.
