April 5, 2007
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NASHVILLE, Tenn.
— Vanderbilt women’s tennis team will fight for the top spot in the Southeastern Conference as they host No. 4 Florida and No. 22 South Carolina this weekend at the Currey Tennis Center.
The 16th-ranked Commodores (14-6, 7-1) are currently tied with the Gamecocks (15-3, 7-1) at No.1 in the SEC, followed immediately by Florida who is 6-1 in conference play.
Last weekend Vanderbilt split weekend road matches, defeating Tennessee 4-3, but falling to then-fifth-ranked Georgia by the same mark.
Vanderbilt will host the Gators at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, followed by South Carolina at noon on Sunday.
Scouting Florida
“Florida has always been a perennial power team,” Macdonald said. The Gators hold three NCAA Championship titles (1992, 1996, 1998, 2003) and 21 SEC titles. Florida is currently tied with Georgia for the best season record in the SEC (15-1) and places just behind South Carolina, Georgia and Vanderbilt in conference play (6-1). The Gators are one match behind the rest of the conference due to a postponed match with Ole Miss.
Florida boasts five ranked singles players, including lineup leader No. 18 Diana Srebrovic. No. 94 Nina Suvak, who has manned Nos. 2, 3 and 4 during conference match-ups and Whitney Benik, stationed at Nos. 5 and 6, are the only Gators that are 6-0 in conference play.
Scouting South Carolina
“South Carolina is one of the most improved teams in the country,” Macdonald said. Last season the Gamecocks placed last in the SEC East, barely squeaking out a winning record, going 12-11 overall. This season South Carolina is tied with Vanderbilt and Georgia for first in the SEC, with a 15-1 overall record and a 7-1 conference mark.
The Gamecocks are lead by No. 55 Gira Schofield at the top of the lineup, who holds a 12-5 dual match record and is 5-3 in SEC play.
Two doubles teams undefeated in conference play will likely go head-to-head on Sunday during the contest. South Carolina’s No. 32 duo of Christyn Lucas and Natasa Vuckovic (6-0) and Vandy’s No. 51 tandem of Taka Bertrand and Catherine Newman (8-0) may face each other at the No. 2 slot.
