Saturday, April 12
Gainesville, FL
10:00 AM
Florida Gators
7
vs
0
South Carolina
Women's Tennis Wins SEC Title Outright; Sweeps USC
Saturday, April 12, 2003 | Women's Tennis
It was a senior day to remember for Florida's Julia Scaringe. Not only did she lead the Gator women's tennis team to a 7-0 sweep over South Carolina (12-9, 5-6 SEC), but Scaringe helped Florida (22-2, 10-1 SEC) secure the 19th SEC title in program history. Later in the day, the Gators learned they won the SEC crown outright after Tennessee (9-2 SEC) upset Georgia (9-2 SEC).
"I'm real proud of this team because winning the SEC regular season title was one of our goals," UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. "Even though we lost to Vanderbilt early in the season, we still beat Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia on the road to win the championship. Our players have worked hard every day and they really wanted this title."
Florida earns the No. 1 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament, which begins on Thursday in Knoxville, Tenn. The Gators receive one of four first-round byes and begin play in the quarterfinals on Friday. The complete SEC Tournament draw, including match times, will be released sometime Sunday afternoon.
Scaringe, who was playing her final regular season match at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex, was extremely impressive in her home farewell. She began the day pairing with Lindsay Dawaf at the No. 3 doubles position, where the Gator duo lost a total of five point off their serve, including three in the final game when Florida fought off one break point to secure the 8-0 shutout over Catherine Brown and Audrey George in 34 minutes. UF later captured the doubles point with a clean sweep of the three positions, with 8-3 decisions at the other spots.
Scaringe then turned her attention to singles play, where she faced off against Kathy Boyanovich at the No. 1 position and captured the 6-1, 6-3 victory in one hour and eight minutes, winning the final two games at love.
"It was definitely on my mind that this was the final regular season home match of my career, but knowing that I would play here again for the NCAAs made it much easier," Scaringe said. "I always want to win the SEC regular season title. It's much harder to win than the SEC Tournament title because it's a culmination of four months, whereas the tournament is about which team in hot for four straight days. (Lindsay) and I played really well in doubles. Our play calling has really improved. In singles I won 6-1, 6-2 so there's not much to complain about. I think I've surpassed any expectations I've had of myself during my career. I have just gotten better from year to year. People wouldn't recognize me as a player from last year to this year."
While the day belonged to UF's lone senior member, sophomore Alexis Gordon was actually the first Gator off the court, as she won her 15th consecutive singles match with a dominating 6-0, 6-0 victory over Magda Wojdylo at the No. 4 position. Gordon needed just 51 minutes to complete a perfect 10-0 singles record in SEC dual matches. The win also improved her overall dual match record to 20-3.
"I feel my footwork is solid right now and my game seems to be coming together," Gordon said. "I have a lot of confidence out there. Today's match was pretty quick. At the beginning, (Wojdylo) was getting into it, but after a while she just broke down and the errors started coming. That allowed me to have more confidence to keep going."
Freshman Jennifer Magley provided the clinching dual match point with a solid 6-1, 6-2 win over Catherine Brown at the No. 5 position. The match opened with each competitor holding serve before Magley ripped off the next five games, which included her first break at love, to take the opening set. The first two games of the second set began with service breaks and the match was on serve until Magley struck in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. She then won the remaining three games to post her 20th dual match victory in 22 attempts.
At the No. 6 position, Gator freshman Boglarka Berecz won her 11th consecutive singles match with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 decision over Justine Walsh. The match opened with a pair of breaks, and the match remained on serve until Berecz took the lead with a break in the eighth game and then served out to win the opening set. The second set began in a similar fashion to the first, and Berecz and Walsh remained on serve until Berecz broke in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. That break would be the difference, as the two held for the remainder of the match, and Berecz polished off the win with a love service game.
Florida zipped through those first four singles matches in one hour and 24 minutes, but the remaining two matches were battles.
On court No. 2, junior Julie Rotondi needed two hours and two minutes to outlast Jodi Kenoyer 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (10-4). Rotondi dropped her opening serve and found herself a break down until the sixth game. Rotondi couldn't hold her next serve, but neither could Kenoyer, as the match remained on serve through 10 games. That's when Kenoyer struck again and served out for the opening set 7-5. Rotondi lost the first game of the second set at love, seeming still bothered by the grueling first set. But she regrouped and recorded her first of two straight breaks to take a 3-1 lead. However, Kenoyer broke back in the fifth game and again in the seventh before holding to take a 5-3 lead. Rotondi then held before holding off Kenoyer's serve, losing just one point in the 10th game. But Rotondi found herself trailing 15-40 on her own serve, but won four straight points to hold and take a 6-5 lead. She then broke Kenoyer without allowing a game point to take the second set 7-5. Since the dual match had already been decided, the Rotondi and Kenoyer played a super-10 point tiebreak to determine the winner. The Gator junior jumped out to a 4-0 lead behind two mini-breaks and never looked back in route to the 10-4 final.
The No. 3 singles match was a pure baseline battle between UF's Zerene Reyes and Danielle Wiggins. Reyes eventually took the 7-5, 4-4 victory after Wiggins reluctantly retired in the second set after playing two hours and 42 minutes. The victory was the 50th career win for Reyes, who improved her two-year singles record to 50-7 all-time, including a 29-6 record this season.
Reyes found herself on the receiving end, down 5-1 in the first set before staging a brilliant comeback. With the opening set back on serve a 5-all, Wiggins was serving with two game points, but couldn't finish, as Reyes rallied and break her opponent for the third time. The initial game in the second set was unquestionably the longest of the dual match, and Wiggins held and carried that momentum by taking a 4-0 lead. Reyes finally got on the board in the second set but breaking Wiggins at love in the fifth game and then held. During that game, Wiggins showed signs of severe cramping. Reyes rallied to win those next three games and even the second set at 4-all and held a 30-0 advantage, when USC coach Arlo Elkins stepped in and retired the match for Wiggins.
"I liked seeing Zerene still standing tall at the end of her match. Zerene's at home in the heat and she's tough to beat in the warm weather. We have done a lot of fitness lately and that certainly benefited her today. I don't know what the temperature was today, because we need to get adjusted for the warmer weather to come in the NCAAs. I thought Zerene looked fresh at the end of the match."
College Women's Tennis
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex
Gainesville, FL
Saturday, April 12, 2003
Final Score: Florida 7 South Carolina 0
Doubles
1. Jennifer Magley/Zerene Reyes (30), UF d. Kathy Boyanovich/Jodi Kenoyer, SC 8-3*
2. Alexis Gordon/Julie Rotondi, UF d. Danielle Wiggins/Magda Wojdylo, SC 8-3
3. Lindsay Dawaf/Julia Scaringe, UF d. Catherine Brown/Audrey George, SC 8-0
Singles
1. Julia Scaringe (41), UF d. Kathy Bonyanovich (118), SC 6-1, 6-3
2. Julie Rotondi (28), UF d. Jodi Kenoyer, SC 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (10-4)
3. Zerene Reyes (33), UF d. Danielle Wiggins, SC 7-5, 4-4 retired
4. Alexis Gordon (17), UF d. Magda Wojdylo, SC 6-0, 6-0
5. Jennifer Magley (66), UF d. Catherine Brown, SC 6-1, 6-2*
6. Boglarka Berecz, UF d. Justine Walsh, SC 6-3, 6-4
Order of Finish: Doubles 3, 1, 2; Singles 4, 1, 5, 6, 2, 3
END OF REPORT
"I'm real proud of this team because winning the SEC regular season title was one of our goals," UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. "Even though we lost to Vanderbilt early in the season, we still beat Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia on the road to win the championship. Our players have worked hard every day and they really wanted this title."
Florida earns the No. 1 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament, which begins on Thursday in Knoxville, Tenn. The Gators receive one of four first-round byes and begin play in the quarterfinals on Friday. The complete SEC Tournament draw, including match times, will be released sometime Sunday afternoon.
Scaringe, who was playing her final regular season match at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex, was extremely impressive in her home farewell. She began the day pairing with Lindsay Dawaf at the No. 3 doubles position, where the Gator duo lost a total of five point off their serve, including three in the final game when Florida fought off one break point to secure the 8-0 shutout over Catherine Brown and Audrey George in 34 minutes. UF later captured the doubles point with a clean sweep of the three positions, with 8-3 decisions at the other spots.
Scaringe then turned her attention to singles play, where she faced off against Kathy Boyanovich at the No. 1 position and captured the 6-1, 6-3 victory in one hour and eight minutes, winning the final two games at love.
"It was definitely on my mind that this was the final regular season home match of my career, but knowing that I would play here again for the NCAAs made it much easier," Scaringe said. "I always want to win the SEC regular season title. It's much harder to win than the SEC Tournament title because it's a culmination of four months, whereas the tournament is about which team in hot for four straight days. (Lindsay) and I played really well in doubles. Our play calling has really improved. In singles I won 6-1, 6-2 so there's not much to complain about. I think I've surpassed any expectations I've had of myself during my career. I have just gotten better from year to year. People wouldn't recognize me as a player from last year to this year."
While the day belonged to UF's lone senior member, sophomore Alexis Gordon was actually the first Gator off the court, as she won her 15th consecutive singles match with a dominating 6-0, 6-0 victory over Magda Wojdylo at the No. 4 position. Gordon needed just 51 minutes to complete a perfect 10-0 singles record in SEC dual matches. The win also improved her overall dual match record to 20-3.
"I feel my footwork is solid right now and my game seems to be coming together," Gordon said. "I have a lot of confidence out there. Today's match was pretty quick. At the beginning, (Wojdylo) was getting into it, but after a while she just broke down and the errors started coming. That allowed me to have more confidence to keep going."
Freshman Jennifer Magley provided the clinching dual match point with a solid 6-1, 6-2 win over Catherine Brown at the No. 5 position. The match opened with each competitor holding serve before Magley ripped off the next five games, which included her first break at love, to take the opening set. The first two games of the second set began with service breaks and the match was on serve until Magley struck in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. She then won the remaining three games to post her 20th dual match victory in 22 attempts.
At the No. 6 position, Gator freshman Boglarka Berecz won her 11th consecutive singles match with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 decision over Justine Walsh. The match opened with a pair of breaks, and the match remained on serve until Berecz took the lead with a break in the eighth game and then served out to win the opening set. The second set began in a similar fashion to the first, and Berecz and Walsh remained on serve until Berecz broke in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. That break would be the difference, as the two held for the remainder of the match, and Berecz polished off the win with a love service game.
Florida zipped through those first four singles matches in one hour and 24 minutes, but the remaining two matches were battles.
On court No. 2, junior Julie Rotondi needed two hours and two minutes to outlast Jodi Kenoyer 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (10-4). Rotondi dropped her opening serve and found herself a break down until the sixth game. Rotondi couldn't hold her next serve, but neither could Kenoyer, as the match remained on serve through 10 games. That's when Kenoyer struck again and served out for the opening set 7-5. Rotondi lost the first game of the second set at love, seeming still bothered by the grueling first set. But she regrouped and recorded her first of two straight breaks to take a 3-1 lead. However, Kenoyer broke back in the fifth game and again in the seventh before holding to take a 5-3 lead. Rotondi then held before holding off Kenoyer's serve, losing just one point in the 10th game. But Rotondi found herself trailing 15-40 on her own serve, but won four straight points to hold and take a 6-5 lead. She then broke Kenoyer without allowing a game point to take the second set 7-5. Since the dual match had already been decided, the Rotondi and Kenoyer played a super-10 point tiebreak to determine the winner. The Gator junior jumped out to a 4-0 lead behind two mini-breaks and never looked back in route to the 10-4 final.
The No. 3 singles match was a pure baseline battle between UF's Zerene Reyes and Danielle Wiggins. Reyes eventually took the 7-5, 4-4 victory after Wiggins reluctantly retired in the second set after playing two hours and 42 minutes. The victory was the 50th career win for Reyes, who improved her two-year singles record to 50-7 all-time, including a 29-6 record this season.
Reyes found herself on the receiving end, down 5-1 in the first set before staging a brilliant comeback. With the opening set back on serve a 5-all, Wiggins was serving with two game points, but couldn't finish, as Reyes rallied and break her opponent for the third time. The initial game in the second set was unquestionably the longest of the dual match, and Wiggins held and carried that momentum by taking a 4-0 lead. Reyes finally got on the board in the second set but breaking Wiggins at love in the fifth game and then held. During that game, Wiggins showed signs of severe cramping. Reyes rallied to win those next three games and even the second set at 4-all and held a 30-0 advantage, when USC coach Arlo Elkins stepped in and retired the match for Wiggins.
"I liked seeing Zerene still standing tall at the end of her match. Zerene's at home in the heat and she's tough to beat in the warm weather. We have done a lot of fitness lately and that certainly benefited her today. I don't know what the temperature was today, because we need to get adjusted for the warmer weather to come in the NCAAs. I thought Zerene looked fresh at the end of the match."
College Women's Tennis
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex
Gainesville, FL
Saturday, April 12, 2003
Final Score: Florida 7 South Carolina 0
Doubles
1. Jennifer Magley/Zerene Reyes (30), UF d. Kathy Boyanovich/Jodi Kenoyer, SC 8-3*
2. Alexis Gordon/Julie Rotondi, UF d. Danielle Wiggins/Magda Wojdylo, SC 8-3
3. Lindsay Dawaf/Julia Scaringe, UF d. Catherine Brown/Audrey George, SC 8-0
Singles
1. Julia Scaringe (41), UF d. Kathy Bonyanovich (118), SC 6-1, 6-3
2. Julie Rotondi (28), UF d. Jodi Kenoyer, SC 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (10-4)
3. Zerene Reyes (33), UF d. Danielle Wiggins, SC 7-5, 4-4 retired
4. Alexis Gordon (17), UF d. Magda Wojdylo, SC 6-0, 6-0
5. Jennifer Magley (66), UF d. Catherine Brown, SC 6-1, 6-2*
6. Boglarka Berecz, UF d. Justine Walsh, SC 6-3, 6-4
Order of Finish: Doubles 3, 1, 2; Singles 4, 1, 5, 6, 2, 3
END OF REPORT
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