Florida Gators

ORLANDO, Fla. – For just the second time in the 58-match series, Florida came up short against Florida State as the two instate rivals squared off in the Fresh From Florida Sunshine Showdown at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus on Saturday.
 
The match was part of the College MatchDay event series hosted by the USTA in order to promote college tennis and was televised live by Tennis Channel.
 
Using a lineup that featured three seniors and three freshmen, Florida's inexperience in big matches was exposed.
 
The Seminoles jumped out early winning the doubles point by taking decisions on courts two and three, while the Gator pair of senior Anna Danilina and freshman Victoria Emma captured the win on court one.
 
FSU carried that momentum onto the singles court, where it won the opening set in three matches and would eventually win all three of those to claim the victory and halt the Gators' seven-match win streak in the series.
 
Senior Josie Kuhlman provided the Gators' lone point in the dual match, as she topped Gabriella Castaneda, 6-3, 6-3, on court two and made the score 3-1.
 
Danilina won her first set on court one, where it was in a thrilling second-set tiebreak at 10-10 when play was abandoned once the dual match was clinched.
 
Gator freshman McCartney Kessler was still on court, but receiving down 4-2 in the third when her match was halted.
 
 
What's Next for the Gators

• Florida returns to action on Wed., Feb. 7 against No. 18 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

 
 
Match 3
USTA National Campus * Orlando, Fla.
Saturday, February 03, 2018
 
Final: Florida State def. #3 Florida, 4-1
 
Doubles (order of finish: 2, 1, 3*)
1. Anna Danilina/Victoria Emma, UF def. P. Hule/A. Garcia, FSU 6-4
2. Ariana Rahmanparast/ Carla Touly, FSU def. McCartney Kessler/Josie Kuhlman, UF 6-2
3. Gabriella Castaneda/ Nandini Das def. Katie Kubicz/Peggy Porter, UF 6-4
Singles (order of finish: 3, 5, 2, 6*)
1. Anna Danilina (8), UF vs. Carla Touly, FSU 6-4, 6-6 (10-10) DNF
2. Josie Kuhlman (30), UF def. Gabriella Castaneda, FSU 6-3, 6-3
3. Nandini Das (116), FSU def. Victoria Emma 6-1, 6-3
4. Petra Hule, FSU led McCartney Kessler, UF 4-6, 6-3, 4-2 DNF
5. Julia Mikulski def. Peggy Porter, UF 6-2, 6-3
6. Ariana Rahmanparast, FSU def. Katie Kubicz, UF 6-3, 3-6, 6-2*
Records: Florida 2-1; Florida State 3-2
 
 
Gator Pronunciations for this release

• Anna Danilina: ON-nah don-uh-LEE-nah
• Josie Kuhlman: COOL-man

 
 
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