Florida Gator senior Lauren Embree has the opportunity to win the first national singles title of her career after winning four consecutive matches in the Riviera/ITA All-American Tournament.
Embree defeated Southern California’s 11th-ranked Danielle Lao in the semifinals in two sets, 6-2, 7-5 on Saturday afternoon.
“I thought I played really well,” Embree said. “I tried to be more aggressive on the bigger points and fought really hard. It’s definitely exciting to be in the final and I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
No other Gator got remotely close to the finals other than freshman Danielle Collins who reached the round of 16.
Embree faces Virginia's Julia Elbaba at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
If Florida is successful in its defense of back-to-back National Championships, Embree figures to play a huge role in getting the Gators to their third-straight title.
“Lauren is just incredible in big moments when the pressure in on,” UF associate head coach Dave Balogh said. “Southern California was playing great at the end and Lauren’s composure and ability to be aggressive was the difference.
If she can continue to play aggressively, attack when she can and keep her first serve percentage up there, she’ll put herself in contention to win this national title.”
