Tuesday, April 13
Columbia, SC
Noon
Florida Gators
4
at
2
University of South Carolina
Senior Ida Jarlskog and the Gators overcame a 2-1 deficit and finished off their regular season with a victory over No. 24 South Carolina.
Gators Defeat No. 24 Gamecocks in Regular-Season Finale, Grab Seventh Straight Victory
Tuesday, April 13, 2021 | Women's Tennis
No. 13 women's tennis secures 4-2 victory at No. 24 South Carolina.
FINAL RESULTS (PDF)
COLUMBIA, SC – The No. 13 University of Florida women's tennis team (12-6, 10-3) closed out the 2021 regular season with a victory and pushed its winning streak to seven in a row as it dispatched No. 24 South Carolina, 4-2, Tuesday afternoon at the Carolina Tennis Center.
Florida overcame its loss of the doubles point and turned in an equally resilient and impressive performance in singles with a new-look lineup. Sydney Berlin, Layne Sleeth, No. 7 McCartney Kessler and Ida Jarlskog all secured crucial singles victories on the day as the Gators snapped a two-match skid against South Carolina.'
The senior Jarlskog, who won for the fifth-straight match, provided the clinching victory from court two as Florida rattled off its seventh-straight win overall. Following their March 7 defeat at No. 21 Tennessee the Gators fell to 5-6 overall but turned things around and found a new gear to close out the SEC season.
With conference tournament seeding in the balance, Florida held the upper-hand and defeated the Gamecocks, who entered the match riding a six-match winning streak, on Senior Day in front of a lively crowd in Columbia.
As a unit the Gators improved to 55-28 in singles in dual match play and thanks to an excellent effort, handed the Gamecocks their first loss since March 7.
The Gamecocks struck first as they claimed the doubles point with victories on courts one and three. Taking on a strong South Carolina doubles side, which extended its record to 32-16 in doubles play this season, the Gators were in the mix on all three courts but couldn't break through in the end. Court three was the first to fall as UF's duo of Sara Dahlstrom and Berlin dropped a 6-3 decision despite jumping out to a 2-0 lead. USC clinched the point when No. 2 Kessler and Marlee Zein fell 6-3 to No. 16 Mia Horvit and No. 16 Megan Davies. Florida's top tandem fought back from a 5-1 deficit but fell for the third-straight match as they battled again against a nationally-ranked opponent. Jarlskog and Sleeth saw their tilt against Emma Shelton and Silvia Chinellato go unfinished with them trailing 5-3.
Featuring a new-look singles lineup, Florida posted wins in fix of the first six opening sets. Berlin, pushing her winning streak to six, kicked off the scoring from court five where she posted a 6-2, 1-2 victory over Ana Cruz who defaulted due to an injury. The Gamecocks jumped back ahead, 2-1, when Elise Mills handed Amber McGinnis a defeat in straight sets on court six. Amber McGinnis, appearing in her first match since Feb. 28, fought back from a 5-2 hole in the second set but fell 6-2, 6-4 on court six.
Sleeth equalized the tally at two apiece when she put the finishing touches on a 6-3, 6-2 victory from court four. Sleeth, winning for the fifth-straight match, defeated the fifth-year senior Chinellato.
With an even tally of 2-2, Florida would need wins on two of the final three courts and its two seniors would deliver.
No. 7 Kessler, the team's top singles player, registered a momentous 6-4, 7-5 victory over No. 39 Horvit. Improving to 13-2 in dual match action, Kessler shook off a 5-3 deficit in the second set and earned her seventh-consecutive win.
Just moments later, Jarlskog posted her third match-clinching victory of the season with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over No. 46 Davies on court two. Playing at the No. 2 position for the first time since Feb. 4 at Florida State, the senior rose to challenge and snapped Davies' five-match winning streak.
No. 36 Zein saw her match go unfinished at 6-3, 6-7, 1-1. Zein and No. 108 Emma Shelton met for a competitive showdown on court three.
UP NEXT: With today's win, Florida finishes its conference season with a 10-3 record and finalizes a second place finish in the SEC standings. The Gators receive a double-bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament (April 19-23) and will next take the court Wednesday, April 21 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
No. 13 Florida 4, No. 24 South Carolina 2
Doubles Results
No. 16 Mia Horvit and Megan Davies def. No. 2 McCartney Kessler and Marlee Zein (UF), 6-3
Ida Jarlskog and Layne Sleeth (UF) vs. Emma Shelton and Silvia Chinellato, 3-5 (Unfinished)
Allie Gretkowski and Ana Cruz def. Sydney Berlin and Sara Dahlstrom (UF), 6-3
Doubles order of finish: 3,1
Singles Results
No. 7 McCartney Kessler (UF) def. No. 39 Mia Horvit, 6-4, 7-5
Ida Jarlskog (UF) def. No. 46 Megan Davies, 6-4, 6-4
No. 36 Marlee Zein (UF) vs. No. 108 Emma Shelton, 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 1-1
Layne Sleeth (UF) def. Silvia Chinellato, 6-3, 6-2
Sydney Berlin (UF) def. Ana Cruz, 6-2, 1-2 (Default)
Elise Mills def. Amber McGinnis (UF), 6-2, 6-4
Singles order of finish: 5, 6, 4, 1,2
Quotes from the Court
Head Coach Roland Thornqvist
Overall thoughts on the match and team's growth…
"In all my years here, looking back at where we were in January and February, this is one of the greatest achievements we've had in my 20-year tenure at Florida. I'm just really proud of how we were able to keep our eye on the ball when things looked dark in February. We kept training with a good attitude and kept getting stronger. We played a really tough team on Senior Day here at South Carolina, a team that just doesn't go away. I thought our grit, our poise and our competitiveness along with our fitness made the difference today. I'm just really proud of our team."
"I think that clearly our focus had to be - since we sort of took some hits early - our focus at the beginning of the SEC season, had to be to try to get better every week rather than to keep an eye on the standings and winning trophies. Which is difficult because a Florida team generally is in the chase. So for us our focus was to be able to really only worry about what is important. Meaning how can we get better from one week to the next throughout the season. The SEC, mind you, is a wasp's net, there's not one bad team. For us to go 10-3 after that start and continue to get better every week is just a testament to our ability to focus on what's important. That's the Gators and how we get better."
On the performance of seniors McCartney Kessler and Ida Jarlskog…
"Clearly mental toughness is a huge thing in outdoor tennis in the South in April and May. Our team is physically strong and having two seniors who are physically really fit and who are the ultimate competitors, that helps the rest of the team. They play in the middle and sort of set the tone on their respective bank or courts. What an amazing performance. I thought Ida (Jarlskog) really helped Layne (Sleeth) today and McCartney (Kessler) clearly helps Marlee (Zein) and Sydney (Berlin). The two of them being in the middle with their competitive spirit helps the team greatly."
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COLUMBIA, SC – The No. 13 University of Florida women's tennis team (12-6, 10-3) closed out the 2021 regular season with a victory and pushed its winning streak to seven in a row as it dispatched No. 24 South Carolina, 4-2, Tuesday afternoon at the Carolina Tennis Center.
Florida overcame its loss of the doubles point and turned in an equally resilient and impressive performance in singles with a new-look lineup. Sydney Berlin, Layne Sleeth, No. 7 McCartney Kessler and Ida Jarlskog all secured crucial singles victories on the day as the Gators snapped a two-match skid against South Carolina.'
The senior Jarlskog, who won for the fifth-straight match, provided the clinching victory from court two as Florida rattled off its seventh-straight win overall. Following their March 7 defeat at No. 21 Tennessee the Gators fell to 5-6 overall but turned things around and found a new gear to close out the SEC season.
With conference tournament seeding in the balance, Florida held the upper-hand and defeated the Gamecocks, who entered the match riding a six-match winning streak, on Senior Day in front of a lively crowd in Columbia.
As a unit the Gators improved to 55-28 in singles in dual match play and thanks to an excellent effort, handed the Gamecocks their first loss since March 7.
The Gamecocks struck first as they claimed the doubles point with victories on courts one and three. Taking on a strong South Carolina doubles side, which extended its record to 32-16 in doubles play this season, the Gators were in the mix on all three courts but couldn't break through in the end. Court three was the first to fall as UF's duo of Sara Dahlstrom and Berlin dropped a 6-3 decision despite jumping out to a 2-0 lead. USC clinched the point when No. 2 Kessler and Marlee Zein fell 6-3 to No. 16 Mia Horvit and No. 16 Megan Davies. Florida's top tandem fought back from a 5-1 deficit but fell for the third-straight match as they battled again against a nationally-ranked opponent. Jarlskog and Sleeth saw their tilt against Emma Shelton and Silvia Chinellato go unfinished with them trailing 5-3.
Featuring a new-look singles lineup, Florida posted wins in fix of the first six opening sets. Berlin, pushing her winning streak to six, kicked off the scoring from court five where she posted a 6-2, 1-2 victory over Ana Cruz who defaulted due to an injury. The Gamecocks jumped back ahead, 2-1, when Elise Mills handed Amber McGinnis a defeat in straight sets on court six. Amber McGinnis, appearing in her first match since Feb. 28, fought back from a 5-2 hole in the second set but fell 6-2, 6-4 on court six.
Sleeth equalized the tally at two apiece when she put the finishing touches on a 6-3, 6-2 victory from court four. Sleeth, winning for the fifth-straight match, defeated the fifth-year senior Chinellato.
With an even tally of 2-2, Florida would need wins on two of the final three courts and its two seniors would deliver.
No. 7 Kessler, the team's top singles player, registered a momentous 6-4, 7-5 victory over No. 39 Horvit. Improving to 13-2 in dual match action, Kessler shook off a 5-3 deficit in the second set and earned her seventh-consecutive win.
Just moments later, Jarlskog posted her third match-clinching victory of the season with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over No. 46 Davies on court two. Playing at the No. 2 position for the first time since Feb. 4 at Florida State, the senior rose to challenge and snapped Davies' five-match winning streak.
No. 36 Zein saw her match go unfinished at 6-3, 6-7, 1-1. Zein and No. 108 Emma Shelton met for a competitive showdown on court three.
UP NEXT: With today's win, Florida finishes its conference season with a 10-3 record and finalizes a second place finish in the SEC standings. The Gators receive a double-bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament (April 19-23) and will next take the court Wednesday, April 21 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
No. 13 Florida 4, No. 24 South Carolina 2
Doubles Results
No. 16 Mia Horvit and Megan Davies def. No. 2 McCartney Kessler and Marlee Zein (UF), 6-3
Ida Jarlskog and Layne Sleeth (UF) vs. Emma Shelton and Silvia Chinellato, 3-5 (Unfinished)
Allie Gretkowski and Ana Cruz def. Sydney Berlin and Sara Dahlstrom (UF), 6-3
Doubles order of finish: 3,1
Singles Results
No. 7 McCartney Kessler (UF) def. No. 39 Mia Horvit, 6-4, 7-5
Ida Jarlskog (UF) def. No. 46 Megan Davies, 6-4, 6-4
No. 36 Marlee Zein (UF) vs. No. 108 Emma Shelton, 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 1-1
Layne Sleeth (UF) def. Silvia Chinellato, 6-3, 6-2
Sydney Berlin (UF) def. Ana Cruz, 6-2, 1-2 (Default)
Elise Mills def. Amber McGinnis (UF), 6-2, 6-4
Singles order of finish: 5, 6, 4, 1,2
Quotes from the Court
Head Coach Roland Thornqvist
Overall thoughts on the match and team's growth…
"In all my years here, looking back at where we were in January and February, this is one of the greatest achievements we've had in my 20-year tenure at Florida. I'm just really proud of how we were able to keep our eye on the ball when things looked dark in February. We kept training with a good attitude and kept getting stronger. We played a really tough team on Senior Day here at South Carolina, a team that just doesn't go away. I thought our grit, our poise and our competitiveness along with our fitness made the difference today. I'm just really proud of our team."
"I think that clearly our focus had to be - since we sort of took some hits early - our focus at the beginning of the SEC season, had to be to try to get better every week rather than to keep an eye on the standings and winning trophies. Which is difficult because a Florida team generally is in the chase. So for us our focus was to be able to really only worry about what is important. Meaning how can we get better from one week to the next throughout the season. The SEC, mind you, is a wasp's net, there's not one bad team. For us to go 10-3 after that start and continue to get better every week is just a testament to our ability to focus on what's important. That's the Gators and how we get better."
On the performance of seniors McCartney Kessler and Ida Jarlskog…
"Clearly mental toughness is a huge thing in outdoor tennis in the South in April and May. Our team is physically strong and having two seniors who are physically really fit and who are the ultimate competitors, that helps the rest of the team. They play in the middle and sort of set the tone on their respective bank or courts. What an amazing performance. I thought Ida (Jarlskog) really helped Layne (Sleeth) today and McCartney (Kessler) clearly helps Marlee (Zein) and Sydney (Berlin). The two of them being in the middle with their competitive spirit helps the team greatly."
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1
#1 Singles Match
12
67
Mia Horvit / 0 (39/-) [SC]
45
#2 Singles Match
12
66
Megan Davies / 0 (46/-) [SC]
44
#3 Singles Match
1234
6610
Emma Shelton / 0 (108/-) [SC]
371UF
#4 Singles Match
12
66
Silvia Chinellato / 0 [SC]
32
#5 Singles Match
123
61WR
Ana Cruz / 0 [SC]
220
#6 Singles Match
12
24
Elise Mills / 0 [SC]
66
Order of Finish:
5,6,4,1,2
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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