Gators add depth with new signees and bolster this year's roster with a January addition.
Gators Sign Talented Trio for 2021 Class
Thursday, November 12, 2020 | Women's Tennis
Alicia Dudeney, Amber McGinnis and Bente Spee all join the women’s tennis program.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida women's tennis head coach Roland Thornqvist announced this week the signing of Alicia Dudeney (Hove, United Kingdom), Amber McGinnis (Pompano Beach, Fla.) and Bente Spee (Heemstede, Netherlands) to the Gators 2021-22 recruiting class.
McGinnis will join the team this January to compete in the upcoming dual match season while Dudeney and Spee will enter UF in the fall and become members of next season's roster.
Rated a 5-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net, McGinnis is ranked as the No. 54 overall player in this year's recruiting class. One of the best prep players in all of Florida, McGinnis is designated as the No. 11 player in the entire Southeast region according to the same outlet. McGinnis carries a UTR Rating of 10 and won the USTA 16U National Doubles Championship in 2019. A right-handed hitter, McGinnis becomes the first in-state player to sign with the Gators since 2017.
Spee, the first Dutch player to sign on with the Gators since Marrit Boonstra in 2007, comes to Gainesville with a bevy of experience competing on the national stage. Spee, who boasts a 10.90 UTR, is a five-time national junior champion having won three singles titles (U12, U14, U18) and two in doubles (U12, U18). This year, Spee finished as the runner up in the 2020 National Championship and in her career she has collected five ITF junior doubles titles. Spee has also represented the Netherlands in the Wintercups, Summercups, Junior Fed Cup and European Championships.
Dudeney, also a right-handed hitter, possesses a UTR of 10.48 and touts a career-best ranking of No. 308 in the ITF junior rankings. On the ITF circuit Dudeney has built up an impressive resume, winning three singles and two doubles championships over the years. The Sussex native competed in the British Tour this summer, a series of events ran by the Lawn Tennis Association, which kicked off in July following the coronavirus outbreak. In the four-week event, Dudeney advanced all the way to the finals in week two where she fell to No. 2 seed Mai Lumsden of Scotland in a tiebreak.
McGinnis joins a talented Gator roster this spring that returns four of their top six competitors from a season ago. In addition, UF welcomes back highly-touted prospect Layne Sleeth, who missed the majority of last season's shortened campaign due to injury, and will see freshman Sara Dahlstrom, who put together a strong fall season, suit up for the first time in dual match play.
In the abbreviated fall campaign, the Gators competed in just two events but found tremendous success in both. Sydney Berlin led the way with a 5-1 record while two-time All-SEC performer McCartney Kessler finished a perfect 3-0. Kessler also defeated the nation's former No. 1 player Katrina Jokic of Georgia. Kessler and fellow upperclassmen Marlee Zein paced Florida with a 4-1 mark in doubles.
Stay tuned for updates regarding Florida's 2021 spring schedule.
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McGinnis will join the team this January to compete in the upcoming dual match season while Dudeney and Spee will enter UF in the fall and become members of next season's roster.
Rated a 5-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net, McGinnis is ranked as the No. 54 overall player in this year's recruiting class. One of the best prep players in all of Florida, McGinnis is designated as the No. 11 player in the entire Southeast region according to the same outlet. McGinnis carries a UTR Rating of 10 and won the USTA 16U National Doubles Championship in 2019. A right-handed hitter, McGinnis becomes the first in-state player to sign with the Gators since 2017.
Officially 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 🖋️☑️
— Gators Women's Tennis (@GatorsWTN) November 11, 2020
Welcome to the fam Amber McGinnis!!
Amber is a 5⃣⭐️ recruit from the Sunshine State. She'll join the squad this spring 👏🙌🐊🎾#GoGators pic.twitter.com/Sk2hLtriCN
Spee, the first Dutch player to sign on with the Gators since Marrit Boonstra in 2007, comes to Gainesville with a bevy of experience competing on the national stage. Spee, who boasts a 10.90 UTR, is a five-time national junior champion having won three singles titles (U12, U14, U18) and two in doubles (U12, U18). This year, Spee finished as the runner up in the 2020 National Championship and in her career she has collected five ITF junior doubles titles. Spee has also represented the Netherlands in the Wintercups, Summercups, Junior Fed Cup and European Championships.
𝓼𝓲𝓰𝓷𝓮𝓭 🖊️☑️
— Gators Women's Tennis (@GatorsWTN) November 12, 2020
Welcome to the @GatorsWTN family Bente Spee ‼️
The 5-time national junior champion joins the Gators by way of the Netherlands 🙌🐊🎾🇳🇱#GoGators pic.twitter.com/Cldr9iIyto
Dudeney, also a right-handed hitter, possesses a UTR of 10.48 and touts a career-best ranking of No. 308 in the ITF junior rankings. On the ITF circuit Dudeney has built up an impressive resume, winning three singles and two doubles championships over the years. The Sussex native competed in the British Tour this summer, a series of events ran by the Lawn Tennis Association, which kicked off in July following the coronavirus outbreak. In the four-week event, Dudeney advanced all the way to the finals in week two where she fell to No. 2 seed Mai Lumsden of Scotland in a tiebreak.
Gator Nation, please join us in welcoming Alicia Dudeney to the @GatorsWTN family!
— Gators Women's Tennis (@GatorsWTN) November 11, 2020
Alicia is a right-handed hitter from the UK with lots of ITF experience and a UTR of 10.48. 👏🐊🎾🇬🇧#GoGators pic.twitter.com/dHpB2I1Emm
McGinnis joins a talented Gator roster this spring that returns four of their top six competitors from a season ago. In addition, UF welcomes back highly-touted prospect Layne Sleeth, who missed the majority of last season's shortened campaign due to injury, and will see freshman Sara Dahlstrom, who put together a strong fall season, suit up for the first time in dual match play.
In the abbreviated fall campaign, the Gators competed in just two events but found tremendous success in both. Sydney Berlin led the way with a 5-1 record while two-time All-SEC performer McCartney Kessler finished a perfect 3-0. Kessler also defeated the nation's former No. 1 player Katrina Jokic of Georgia. Kessler and fellow upperclassmen Marlee Zein paced Florida with a 4-1 mark in doubles.
Stay tuned for updates regarding Florida's 2021 spring schedule.
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
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