Strong Singles Play Boosts No. 16 Gators Past No. 36 Razorbacks

Sunday, March 20

Fayetteville, AR

1 PM

Florida Gators

Arkansas

Strong Singles Play Boosts No. 16 Gators Past No. 36 Razorbacks

Sunday, March 20, 2022 | Women's Tennis

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Andrew Hile

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Florida women's tennis put together several strong performances in singles competition to earn a comeback victory over No. 36 Arkansas, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon, completing a perfect weekend in Southeastern Conference play.

Arkansas (11-4, 4-1 SEC) managed to race out to an early lead on Sunday in doubles competition. At the three doubles position, Indianna Spink and Kelly Keller managed to keep Sara Dahlstrom and Emma Shelton at bay, earning a 6-2 victory over the Gators' (12-4, 4-2 SEC) duo.

Needing two doubles victories to secure the point, McCartney Kessler and Marlee Zein found themselves in a battle with the No. 28 doubles squad of Tatum Rice and Morgan Cross. The Razorbacks were able to hold off the surging Gators however, winning the match and securing the doubles point, 6-4.

Down 1-0 after the doubles point, Florida would need a surge in the singles competition to earn a victory. On court five, Carly Briggs gave the Gators the start they needed, routing Morgan Cross: 6-0, 6-3, to pull even in the match score.

Momentum would remain in favor of the Gators on courts one and two. No. 32 Kessler once again delivered for Florida, earning her eighth-consecutive victory by downing Rice: 6-4, 6-2. Freshman Alicia Dudeney, again competing at the two singles slot for the Orange & Blue, pulled through in a huge way, defeating Keller: 6-3, 6-4. Showing her resilience, Dudeney flipped the script on Keller in the second set, winning three-straight games after trailing 3-4 to take the match.

With the Gators holding a 3-1 lead in the team competition, Arkansas would close the gap back to within one on court four. Lenka Stara, the Razorbacks four singles player, earned a comeback victory over Emma Shelton after dropping the opening set, 4-6, winning sets two and three: 6-3, 6-2, respectively.

Still needing just one more victory to seal the team win, No. 55 Marlee Zein found herself in a dogfight with Spink at three singles. The senior dropped her opening set, 4-6, against the Razorback, but responded with a 6-3 win in the second frame. Zein and Spink would trade games for in the third set, but it would be Zein who ended up with the final break to defeat Spink and claim the match, 6-4.

The Gators will be back in action on Friday, Mar. 25, when they welcome Ole Miss to the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex for a 5 p.m. ET matchup.

SINGLES
No. 32 McCartney Kessler def. Tatum Rice (ARK): 6-4, 6-2
Alicia Dudeney def. Kelly Keller (ARK): 6-3, 6-4
No. 55 Marlee Zein def. Indianna Spink: 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Lenka Stara (ARK) def. Emma Shelton: 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Carly Briggs def. Morgan Cross (ARK): 6-0, 6-3
Laura Rijkers (ARK) def. Sara Dahlstrom: 7-5, 4-6, 6-4

Order of Finish: 5, 1, 2, 4, 3, 6

DOUBLES
No. 28 Tatum Rice/Morgan Cross (ARK) def. McCartney Kessler/Marlee Zein: 6-4
No. 18 Alicia Dudeney/Bente Spee vs. Lenka Stara/Laura Rijkers (ARK): 5-4, unf.
Indianna Spink/Kelly Keller (ARK) def. Sara Dahlstrom/Emma Shelton: 6-2

Order of Finish: 3, 1

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Roland Thornqvist
"I'm so proud of our performance this weekend. I hope our fight made Lauren (Embree) proud because she certainly was in our hearts all weekend. Carly (Briggs) led the way with two clinical performances which set the tone for the rest of us. We are looking forward to getting home and getting the whole family of Florida tennis together again."

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