Last Saturday, senior Peggy Porter could only watch helplessly as she lost the decisive singles match in Florida’s 4-3 defeat against Vanderbilt to end the regular season.
In the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday, she wasn’t about to relive that moment.
Porter’s 6-2, 6-2 victory over LSU’s Luba Vasilyuk was the clinching match in a 4-2 win for the Gators over the Tigers at the indoor courts of the Goodfriend Tennis Center. UF will now face Arkansas in the semifinals of the tournament on Saturday at 10 a.m.
As the temperatures in Knoxville hit the 40s, play was moved to the indoor courts. The Gators struck first in doubles, with Porter and freshman Katie Kubicz defeating LSU’s Vasilyuk and Ashton Rabalis 6-2. The Tigers struck back, however, when Jessica Golovin and Eden Richardson defeated freshman Victoria Emma and senior Anna Danilina 6-2. It all came down to the tandem of UF freshman McCartney Kessler and senior Josie Kuhlman, and it delivered, defeating LSU’s Ryann Foster and Kennan Johnson 6-4.
With a 1-0 lead, the Gators quickly established themselves in singles. Kubicz made short work of Rabalis, winning 6-1, 6-1 to put UF up 2-0. Kessler followed suit, besting Golovin 6-2, 6-3 to give the Gators a 3-0 lead.
LSU didn’t make it easy, however, as Johnson defeated Emma 6-2, 6-4, and Richardson defeated Danilina 6-1, 7-5 to bring the overall score to 3-2. Porter wouldn’t allow the comeback, however, and with her clincher, Florida will move on to play in the semifinals.
Follow River Wells on Twitter @riverhwells and contact him at rwells@alligator.org.
Senior Peggy Porter's 6-2, 6-2 singles victory on Friday helped Florida clinch a 4-2 victory over LSU in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.
