On the strength of the returning last year’s Southeastern Conference Player and Freshman of the Year, the University of Florida women’s tennis team was the unanimous pick to repeat as the SEC overall champions, in a vote by the league’s coaches released on Monday.
Last season, the Gators compiled a 29-3 overall record and went 11-0 in the SEC to capture the program’s 24th league championship in the 31-year history the conference has sponsored the sport. The 24 titles is the most won by any other SEC women’s program in any sport.
· WATCH Monday’s press conference with Head Coach Roland Thornqvist – FREE courtesy of GatorVision OnLine
Florida, currently ranked No. 2 in the country, returns to the court six letterwinners from last year’s team that reached the NCAA Final, dropping a 4-3 heartbreaker to Stanford. Sophomore Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) became the first freshman in league history to be voted the SEC Player of the Year, while Allie Will (Boca Raton, Fla.) was honored as the 2010 SEC Freshman of the Year.
Florida was also voted as Eastern Division Champion with 72 points. Georgia was second (58 points) with Tennessee coming in at third (48 points). The remainder of the East was: 4. Vanderbilt (32 points), 5. South Carolina (29 points) and 6. Kentucky (13 points).
The Western Division saw some of the closest voting with Alabama (65 points) inching out Ole Miss (64 points) for the top spot. Arkansas (50 points) was voted to finish third, while in another close vote LSU (31 points) finished one point ahead of Auburn (30 points) for fifth. Mississippi State rounds out the West at sixth with 12 points.
The preseason poll is voted on by the women’s tennis head coach at each institution and is based on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 count in each division. They also vote for the overall champion, with each vote counting as one point.
The complete tally for the poll is as follows:
2011 SEC Women’s Tennis Coaches Preseason Poll
Eastern Division Points
1. Florida 72
2. Georgia 58
3. Tennessee 48
4. Vanderbilt 32
5. South Carolina 29
6. Kentucky 13
Western Division Points
1. Alabama 65
2. Ole Miss 64
3. Arkansas 50
4. LSU 31
5. Auburn 30
6. Mississippi State 12
Overall Regular Season Champion: Florida (12 points)
