The
fourth-ranked University of Florida women’s tennis team opened its Southeastern
Conference schedule with a 6-1 win against Missouri at the Green Tennis Center
on Friday evening.
The
Gators (7-1, 1-0 SEC) secured the doubles point to begin the match and then
captured singles victories on courts one, two, three, five and six to earn
their 37th consecutive conference win.
With
only four courts inside the Green Tennis Center, courts one through four began
action and Florida took charge early.
Senior
Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) won her 24th straight singles dual
match with a 6-2, 6-1 decision against Cierra Gaytan-Leach. The win was
Embree’s 102nd on the court after she had posted her 104th on the doubles court
in the clinching match and moved into a tie with Traci Green and Zerene Reyes
for 13th in UF history with a combined 206 wins. Embree also improved her
singles record to 30-0 in SEC regular-season dual matches.
Junior
Sofie Oyen (Belgium) earned a 6-2, 6-2 win over Rachel Stuhlmann at the
number two position for her 20th-victory of the year.
Junior
Alexandra Cercone (Seminole, Fla.) was the third Gator off the court and
collected the 80th singles win of her career with the 6-2, 6-3 victory over
Elisha Gabb and secured the dual match victory in the first-ever meeting
between the Gators and Tigers (6-2, 0-1 SEC).
Missouri
avoided the shutout as Maria Christensen knocked off freshman Brianna Morgan
(Beverly Hills, Calif.), 6-2, 6-4.
Freshman
Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Fla.) kept the success rolling for
Florida with a 6-1, 6-1 mark against Alex Clark on court five, before senior Caroline
Hitimana (Belgium) earned a 6-4, 6-2 win against Madison Rhyner for the
65th singles win of her career as well as her 27th consecutive dual match
singles victory in improving to 40-4 in career dual match singles action.
On
the doubles court, Collins and Olivia Janowicz (Palm Bay, Fla.) defeated
Maria Christensen and Rachel Stuhlmann, 8-5 for the first individual win of the
event, before Embree and Oyen downed Ciera Gaytan-Leach and Elisha Gabb, 8-5 to
clinch the doubles point. The doubles win was the 50th of Janowicz’s career.
