AUSTIN, Texas \u2014 The Florida Women’s Tennis Team (13-4, 8-3) has won three straight matches and six of its last seven, but the most challenging road trip of the regular season awaits this week as the Gators head to No. 6 Texas (14-4, 9-2) on Thursday, April 2 and No. 2 Texas A&M (18-3, 10-1) on Saturday, April 4. Start times are 3 p.m. and 1 p.m. EDT respectively.
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\nWith two weeks remaining before the start of the SEC Tournament at Oklahoma’s Headington Family Tennis Center, Florida is tied for fifth place in the SEC standings. The top four teams at season’s end receive a double bye in the tournament, while the fifth through eight seeds have a single bye.
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\nThe Gators are ranked 16th in the nation in the most recent ITA rankings, and five of Florida’s singles players are currently ranked in the top 125 \u2014 Gabia Paskauskas<\/a> (#47), Valery Gynina<\/a> (#68), India Houghton<\/a> (#79), Nikola Daubnerova<\/a> (#86), and Lucie Pawlak<\/a> (#105). Brooke Black<\/a> is a team-best 7-1 in conference play while playing mostly in the number four spot this season, while Pawlak’s 18 overall wins on the year are tops on the team, and have come primarily at number five singles.
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\nThe Gators’ top doubles tandem of Daubnerova and Xinyi Nong<\/a> is ranked 22nd in the nation, while Houghton and Pawlak boast the team’s best winning percentage against SEC competition with a 6-2 mark at number three doubles.
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\nTexas has won nine of its last 10 matches including a 4-1 victory over No. 1 Georgia. The Longhorns lone loss in that stretch was a 4-2 road decision at No. 10 LSU. Carmen Andreea Herea is the third ranked player in the nation, and 7-2 in SEC play at number one singles for Texas this year. Anastasia Abbagnato is 12th in the country, and boasts a 6-2 mark in conference at number two singles, while Ester Meri is 49th in the nation and 6-1 in league play at number three.
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\nAlthough not ranked individually, Christasha McNeil (number four singles), Elizabeth Ionescu (number five) and Mathilde Mgijol Carre (number six) are a combined 20-4 against SEC opponents.
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\nThe Longhorns’ top doubles team of Abbagnato and Salma Drugdova is 31st in the nation, and 4-2 in conference.
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\nTexas A&M has won five straight matches since suffering its lone conference loss of the season \u2014 5-2 vs. No. 1 Georgia. The Aggies host No. 4 Auburn on Thursday before welcoming the Gators on Saturday.
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\nLucciana Perez is the top player in the country, and a perfect 19-0 on the year including 10-0 in the SEC. Mia Kupres is ranked 43rd in the nation, but is just 1-4 in conference, with one victory in her last nine matches. Ilinca Amariel is 6-2 against league competition playing at number two and three singles, and ranked 56th in the country, while Violeta Martinez (No. 102, and 7-2 vs. the SEC) and Lexington Reed (No. 124, 8-2) round out the Aggies’ ranked singles contingent.
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\nPerez and Kupres team up at the top of Texas A&M’s doubles chart, and are ranked 18th in the nation with an 8-4 overall record (2-3 in conference). Amarei and Martinez are 5-2 in the SEC at number two doubles, and ranked 54h in the nation.
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\nHISTORY
\nThe Gators are 26-10 all-time against Texas, including a 4-3 victory on March 7 of last year. Florida is 9-11 against Texas A&M, and the Aggies have won eight straight matches dating back to 2022.
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\nWHAT’S NEXT?
\nFlorida returns home for the final two matches of the regular season taking on No. 11 Vanderbilt on Friday, April 10 at 5 p.m. EDT, and Missouri on Sunday, April 12 at 1 p.m. The match against the Tigers will also serve as the Gators’ Senior Day as they celebrate the careers of Xinyi Nong<\/a> and India Houghton<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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