Athens Women’s Tennis Tournament: South Carolina vs. Florida
South Carolina women’s tennis team experienced a heartbreaker in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals against Florida in Athens on Friday. The Gamecocks, ranked No. 19, fell short with a 4-3 loss to the No. 14 Florida Gators.
Doubles Set the Tone
Florida seized the advantage early by clinching the doubles point. The Gators dominated the doubles matches with a 6-1 victory at the No. 3 position and a 6-2 win at the No. 2 position.
Singles Matches Showcase Grit
Despite the setback in doubles, the Gamecocks fought back in the singles matches. Elise Mills secured the first point for South Carolina by defeating Alicia Dudeney 6-4, 6-4. Ayana Akli continued the momentum with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Sara Dahlstrom, leveling the scores at 2-2.
However, the Gators regained the lead as Rachel Gailis defeated Sarah Hamner in a hard-fought match that went to three sets. South Carolina’s Misa Malkin then stepped up, claiming a crucial victory from Court 6 to even the score once again.
Decisive Match on Court 5
The fate of the match came down to Court 5, where Olympe Lancelot battled against Qavia Lopez in a tense third set. Despite a valiant effort from Lancelot, Lopez managed to secure the final set and match for Florida with a 6-3 scoreline.
Looking Ahead
With this tough loss, South Carolina now turns its attention to the upcoming NCAA selection show on April 29, where the team’s postseason fate will be revealed. The Gamecocks will be eager to bounce back and make a strong showing in the remainder of the season.
#14 Florida 4, #19 South Carolina 3
Doubles: #50 Alicia Dudeney/Malwina Rowinska (UF) vs. #22 Sarah Hamner/Ayana Akli (SC) 2-5, unfinished Carly Briggs/Qavia Lopez (UF) def. Elise Mills/Shahar Biran (SC) 6-2 Rachel Gailis/Bente Spee (UF) def. Olympe Lancelot/Misa Malkin (SC) 6-1
Singles: #8 Rachel Gailis (UF) def. #16 Sarah Hamner (SC) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 #9 Ayana Akli (SC) def. #71 Sara Dahlstrom (UF) 7-5, 7-5 #68 Carly Briggs (UF) def. Shahar Biran (SC) 7-5, 6-0 Elise Mills (SC) def. Alicia Dudeney (UF) 6-4, 6-4 #111 Qavia Lopez (UF) def. Olympe Lancelot (SC) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 Misa Malkin (SC) def. Bente Spee (UF) 7-6 (12-10), 6-4
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