April 11, 2018
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With the Southeastern Conference race tight, the third-ranked Vanderbilt women’s tennis team concludes regular season play with a pair of top-10 opponents, traveling to No. 7 South Carolina on Thursday at 4 p.m. CT and No. 10 Florida at noon on Saturday.
Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Florida all sit atop the SEC women’s tennis standings with one loss apiece in league action. The results of this weekend’s play determine whether the Commodores repeat as SEC regular season champions. VU heads into its final competitions with a 17-3 overall record and 10-1 SEC mark. VU’s lone loss in SEC play came against Mississippi State, 4-3.
Vanderbilt swept Texas A&M and LSU last weekend to cap home play.
Commodore Notables:
- Vanderbilt ranks thirdin the country, behind North Carolina, whichVU beat 4-3 earlier this season, and Georgia Tech
- Vandy sits as the reigning SEC regular season and tournament champion
- The Commodores began the season ranked second and have not left the ITA top 10
- Vanderbilt has boasted two or fewerSEC losses throughout the past four seasons
- VU owns 14 ranked wins, with nine victories coming against top-25 teams
- Fernanda Contreras is seven wins short of claimingVU’s single season win record (39) as well asher 100th career victory
- Vanderbilt is the only school boasting two student-athletes in the ITA top-10 singles poll
- Contreras leads the SEC in singles, coming in at No. 6 in the country
- Astra Sharma sits at No. 8 in the nation
- VU has three ranked doubles pairings; No. 19 Contreras/Sharma, No. 20 – Christina Rosca/ Emma Kurtz, No. 71 Emily Smith/Kurtz
- The Commodores handed UF a 4-0 sweep earlier this season at National Team Indoors
- Vanderbilt defeated South Carolina and Florida twice last season (regular season, SEC tournament)
Scouting South Carolina:
- The Gamecocks head into Thursday’s tilt with an 18-4 (10-1) record
- South Carolina suffered its first loss of conference play last Saturday, falling to Florida 4-2
- SC sits at No. 7 in the nation
- Three of South Carolina’s losses have come against opponents the Commodores have not faced this dual season; Central Florida, Duke and UCLA
- South Carolina’s 10 wins in SEC play are the most for the Gamecocks in program history
- The Gamecocks have won nine doubles points in 10 SEC matches this season. Their sole loss in doubles came against Georgia on March 18
- Ranked in singles: Hadley Berg (32), Ingrid Gamarra Martins (58)
- Ranked in doubles: Berg/Paige Cline (55), Megan Davies/Silvia Chinellato (72), Paige Cline/ Gamarra Martins (86)
Gauging the Gators:
- Florida heads into the weekend with a 15-6 overall record, and 10-1 SEC slate
- The Commodores will be testing the Gators’ undefeated home record
- Florida takes on No. 23 Kentucky prior to facing VU on Saturday
- UF’s SEC loss came against then-No. 8 UGA 4-1
- Last weekend, Florida fell to No. 7 Texas (4-0) and defeated No. 5 South Carolina (4-2)
- The Commodores’ four points against UF at National Team Indoors came from doubles, Contreras, Rosca and Amanda Meyer
- The Gators have three ranked active student-athletes; No. 13 Anna Danilina, No. 45 Josie Kuhlman and No. 94 McCartney Kessler
- UF boasts one ranked doubles tandem, No. 14 Danilina/Victoria Emma