Florida Gators

OXFORD, Miss. – For the third time in as many matches, Florida's dual match went the distance. And for the third time in those 4-3 thrillers, the Gators came out on top, this time earning the win against No. 7 Ole Miss at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center Thursday.
 
In the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams, Gator senior Peggy Porter shook off the first set and forced a deciding third to produce a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory and provide the clinching dual match win.
 
Porter, who has won three consecutive pressure-filled singles matches, also notched the final singles decision in Florida's 4-3 win against Saint Mary's.
 
Florida had lost the doubles point in its last five matches entering Thursday's contest. The Gators were able to flip that outcome and finally enter singles play with the 1-0 lead.
 
Taking that early advantage took a tough 6-4 upset victory by Anna Danilina and Victoria Emma against 10th-ranked Arianna Hartono and Alexa Bortles, as Ole Miss earned the win on court three before the Gator tandem of McCartney Kessler and Josie Kuhlman captured the 6-3 on court two.
 
Kuhlman, who provided the other clinching singles win during the last three matches, wasn't going for the same drama as her prior three-set win against Stanford. Against the Rebels, she was the first off the court in singles action with a 6-1, 6-2 decision that gave Florida a quick 2-0 lead.
 
Ole Miss got on the board with a 7-5, 6-1 win at court six, before freshman Victoria Emma won a second-set tiebreak to take the 6-4, 7-6 victory and the Gators took a 3-1 lead.
 
The Rebels came back with wins on court four and one to even the dual match at 3-all, setting the stage for Porter.
 
Numbers and News of Note

• Tonight's match was Florida's eighth consecutive on the road.
• The win was the Gators' 12th straight over Ole Miss.
• Ole Miss entered the match riding a five-match win streak and its 9-1 record was the best start in program history.

 
What's Next for Florida

• The Gators play their ninth straight road match when the team travels to Starkville and faces Mississippi State on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT.
• The Bulldogs (8-3, 0-1 SEC) lost to South Carolina, 4-2, in their SEC opener Thursday.

 
 
Quoting UF Coach Roland Thornqvist:
General comments on the match:
"We're playing really tough tennis. We're becoming a tough team to play and that's what I'm most proud of. We're making a lot of balls, now. It's the Florida way. We're willing to run. We're willing to roll and go deep in the ball count. It makes us a tough team to play outside. We have a lot of people playing well right now.
 
"Today was a team win. We played well at every spot and we needed to because this Ole Miss team is very, very talented."
 
On doubles play:
"At the beginning of the year, I did not think we played very good doubles. It looked like we had a hard time with some strategy and that started to change at the (National Team) Indoors, in particular. We really started to figure out how to play. I think, right now, we have a great understanding tactically and we're starting to become a little more confident. That bodes really well because the SEC is brutal. Winning the doubles point was really important today, obviously, not only for the score being 4-3, but for first-set momentum."
 
On Peggy Porter clinching two of the last three matches:
"Peggy's game really has a cumulative effect. I don't think she played a particularly strong first set. She made a ton of unforced errors. Down 4-1, we talked briefly about finding some rhythm. She was able to win a game or two at the end of that first set and then the second and third sets, she did not miss a shot. She did not give away anything. She's super fit. She is super fast. If she holds onto the ball, at number five singles there aren't a lot of players who can put away points and she's becoming a monster to play."
 
Match 10
No. 34 Florida at No. 7 Ole Miss
Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center * Oxford, Miss.
Thursday, March 01, 2018
 
Final: Florida def. Ole Miss, 4-3
 
Singles (Order of Finish: 2,6,3,4,1,5*)
1. #16 Arianne Hartono (OM) def. #9 Anna Danilina (UF) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
2. #46 Josie Kuhlman (UF) def. #115 Sabina Machalova (OM) 6-1, 6-2
3. #100 Victoria Emma (UF) def. Natalie Suk (OM) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Tea Jandric (OM) def. McCartney Kessler (UF) 6-4, 7-6 (7-1)
5. Peggy Porter (UF) def. Alexa Bortles (OM) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2*
6. Anna Vrbenska (OM) def. Katie Kubicz (UF) 7-5, 6-1
 
Doubles (Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1*)
1. #51 Anna Danilina/Victoria Emma (UF) def. #10 Arianne Hartono/Alexa Bortles (OM) 6-4*
2. Josie Kuhlman/McCartney Kessler (UF) def. Natalie Suk/Anna Vrbenska (OM) 6-3
3. Sabina Machalova/Tea Jandric (OM) def. Peggy Porter/Katie Kubicz (UF) 6-3
Notes:
Florida 6-4, 1-0; National ranking #34
Ole Miss 9-2, 0-1; National ranking #7
 
 
 
A Glance at Saturday's Match vs. Mississippi State (8-2, 0-1 SEC)

• Where:  A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre * Starkville, Miss.
• When: Sat., March 3 * first serve is scheduled for noon ET/ 11 a.m. CT.

• Series: Florida has won all 38 meetings against Mississippi State, including 19 in Starkville, in the series that began in 1983.
• Last Meeting: The teams met twice last season and the Gators won both, including the 4-2 victory in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on April 21, 2017.
• Team Ranking: The Bulldogs are not ranked in the current ITA national rankings.
• Individual Rankings: Singles – No. 112 Magda Adaloglou
• Of Note: MSU had won six consecutive dual matches entering Thursday's match against South Carolina.
• Live Video & Scoring: http://www.hailstate.com/livewt

 
A Glance at the Gators (6-4)

• On the Road: Saturday's match represents Florida's ninth consecutive road match. The Gators are 4-4 during this stretch away from Gainesville.
• Thrillers: Each of Florida's last three matches have been a 4-3 decision and the Gators have won each of those.

• Team Ranking: The Gators are No. 34 the current ITA national rankings.
• Individual Rankings: Singles – No. 9 Anna Danilina, No. 46 Josie Kuhlman, No. 100 Victoria Emma; Doubles – No. 51 Danilina & Emma
• Of Note: Florida's six-member roster features three seniors and three true freshmen.

 
 
Gator Pronunciations for this release

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

 
 
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