Florida Falls to #8 Georgia

Friday, March 16

Athens, GA

5 PM

Florida Gators

Georgia

Freshman McCartney Kessler improved to 3-0 in SEC singles matches.

Florida Falls to #8 Georgia

Friday, March 16, 2018 | Women's Tennis

Box Score Final Scores (PDF)

The Bulldogs won the tightly contested doubles point en route to the 4-1 decision.

By: Kathy Cafazzo

ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia won the battle of unbeaten in Southeastern Conference records against Florida with a 4-1 decision at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex Friday in Athens, Ga.

The No. 8 Bulldogs (9-2, 4-0 SEC) won the doubles point with 6-4 marks on courts two and three, as court one was even at 5-all when play was abandoned. It was the sixth time the 18th-ranked Gators (9-5, 4-1 SEC) dropped the doubles point this season.

Georgia won the first singles match to finish, taking the straight-setter on court five, before Calhoun, Ga., native McCartney Kessler posted a 6-2, 6-3 victory against No. 125-ranked Mariana Gould on court four.

The Bulldogs then won a tough first set on court two before taking it and a 3-1 lead in the team scoring before polishing off the dual match outcome with a straight-set decision on court six.

On the Road Again

Friday's match at Georgia began a four-match road swing, as the Gators continue action at Tennessee Sunday.
The following week, Florida plays at Alabama and Auburn on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
Florida is 5-2 on away courts this season.

The No. 18 Gators (9-5, 4-1 SEC) at a Glance

What Just Happened: The Gators saw their six-match win streak come to an end with Friday's loss.
Individual Rankings: Singles – No. 15 Anna Danilina, No. 45 Josie Kuhlman, No. 100 Victoria Emma; Doubles –No. 15 Anna Danilina & Victoria Emma
Of Note: Friday's match was Florida's 10th away from Gainesville this season. The Gators are 5-5 in those matches.
Doubles Action: The Gators have won the doubles point seven times this season and are 6-1 when winning the initial team point.

The No. 8 Bulldogs (9-2, 4-0 SEC) at a Glance

Individual Rankings: Singles – No. 2 Katarina Jokic, No. 59 Kennedy Shaffer, No. 93 Morgan Coppoc, No. 100 Marta Gonzalez, No. 125 Mariana Gould; Doubles – No. 10 Eleni Christofi & Morgan Coppoc, No. 12 Mariana Gould & Katarina Jokic
Of Note: Georgia, the preseason pick to win the SEC by the league's coaches, joins South Carolina as the only other remaining school undefeated in SEC matches.

What's Next for the Gators

Who: No. 18 Florida at No. 30 Tennessee (12-4, 0-4 SEC)
Where: Barksdale Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
When: Sunday at 12 Noon ET
Live Scoring: http://www.sidearmstats.com/utennessee/mten/
Series: Florida is 44-0 all-time against Tennessee, including a 19-0 record in Knoxville. The Gators claimed last year's 4-0 decision in Gainesville.

Quotes from the Court – UF Coach Roland Thornqvist
"We continue to get better in doubles. We had leads on the courts and today we needed to take advantage of those and close those out. Overall, it was a fantastic tennis match. High-level tennis on every court. I think we competed really well. Georgia has one of those teams that can win a national championship. I think we were right there with them. There are no moral victories when we play, however, I continue to think that we're getting better as a team and that's very positive.

"Tennessee is another team that has been ranked in the top 20. Every weekend in the SEC, you're going to play teams that test you. I feel like our team is ready for that challenge and it was certainly ready for it today. I can promise you that we'll be ready for Tennessee on Sunday."

Match 14
No. 18 Florida at No. 8 Georgia
Dan Magill Tennis Complex * Athens, Ga.
March 16, 2018

Final: #8 Georgia 4, #18 Florida 1

Doubles (order of finish: 3,2 *)
1. #10 Elena Christofi/Morgan Coppoc (UGA) vs. #15 Anna Danilina/Victoria Emma (UF) 5-5, unfinished
2. #12 Katarina Jokic/Mariana Gould (UGA) def. McCartney Kessler/Josie Kuhlman (UF) 6-4*
3. Annette Goulak/Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) def. Katie Kubicz/Peggy Porter (UF) 6-4

Singles (order of finish: 5, 4, 2, 6*)
1. #2 Katarina Jokic (UGA) vs. #15 Anna Danilina (UF) 6-4, 4-2, unfinished
2. #59 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) def. #45 Josie Kuhlman (UF) 6-4, 6-1
3. Elena Christofi (UGA) vs. #100 Victoria Emma (UF) 1-6, 6-5, unfinished
4. McCartney Kessler (UF) def. #125 Mariana Gould (UGA) 6-2, 6-3
5. #93 Morgan Coppoc (UGA) def. Peggy Porter (UF) 6-0, 6-4
6. Vivian Wolff (UGA) def. Katie Kubicz (UF) 6-2, 7-5*

Match Notes:

Florida 9-5, 4-1; National ranking #18
Georgia 9-2, 4-0; National ranking #8
Official: Karen Badger-Mabry T-2:17 A-562
Of the 38 all-time Southeastern Conference regular-season championships, Florida and Georgia have won 35 of those, sharing the title three times.

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