University of Tennessee Athletics
S&D Faces Tough Test
January 21, 2011 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Jan. 21, 2011
By Todd Mounce, Media Relations Graduate Assistant
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Lady Vol swimming and diving team will face one of its toughest tests of the season when the defending Southeastern Conference champion Georgia Lady Bulldogs invade Rocky Top on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Big Orange (5-0, 2-0 SEC) and UGA (7-0) will both put their undefeated record on the line in a dual meet that features two of the top teams in the league.
"Georgia is a very well coached, well disciplined team, so they'll hold us to a really high standard in terms of the execution of all of our races," said Lady Vol Head Coach Matt Kredich. "Their swimmers are all very versatile, so they have a lot of options in terms of putting together a lineup. As usual, we'll tell our team to expect Georgia's best, and their best is as good as anyone in the country."
After knocking off a very talented Virginia squad on Jan. 8 at the AJIAC, the Lady Vols vaulted to the No. 10 ranking in the TYR/College Swimming Coaches Association of America poll, while Georgia currently sits second in the poll.
The win over UVA marked the first top-10 victory for the Big Orange during the Matt Kredich era, as the Orange and White had four individuals win multiple events. Sophomore Kelsey Floyd won three events, including breaking the longest standing UT record in the 200y fly. Freshman Lindsay Gendron also won the 1000y free in an AJIAC pool record time.
Saturday's meeting against the Lady Bulldogs will be the 33rd contest in the series. Georgia holds a commanding 27-4-1 advantage over UT, winning the last 16 meetings. Tennessee last defeated UGA in November of 1989 by a score of 83-57 in Athens, Ga.
Prior to the meet, Big Orange seniors Aleksa Akerfelds, Morgan Farrell, Martina Moravcikova, Jill Pierce and Tricia Weaner will be honored as part of their last home competition at the AJIAC.
"This senior class has been the most unified class from freshman to senior year of any of the classes that I've seen graduate here," Kredich said. "They're characterized by remarkable resilience and complete devotion to Lady Vol swimming and diving. They've each been leaders by example, and they've each had moments where they've taken the reins of the team and steered it in the right direction."
UT has been led this season by Akerfelds and Moravcikova, junior Jenny Connolly, Floyd and Gendron, all of whom own NCAA B cut times.
"We're looking to continue to improve, and to have a shot against Georgia, we'll need our best meet of the year," Kredich said.
The dual meet will begin at 4 p.m. with the senior presentations getting underway 15 minutes prior.
Live results of Saturday's meet can be found at Jonesaquaticcenter.com.
