University of Tennessee Athletics
WTEN CENTRAL: Lady Vols vs. Florida Gulf Coast/Georgia State
February 23, 2018 | Women's Tennis
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The 18th-ranked Tennessee women's tennis team is back in action this weekend, playing Florida Gulf Coast and Georgia State at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
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UT (10-0) opens play with a match on Saturday against GSU before taking on FGCU on Sunday. Both matches will begin at 10 a.m.
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"Going into this weekend, with what we learned from the NC State match, executing early in a doubles set makes a massive difference," said head coach Alison Ojeda. "That sounds like common sense, but when you get out there, everyone is nervous. With our ranking, our team wants to go out and compete for each other. I love it because they care. We need to go out and play in doubles, because we will be ready to go in singles."
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Since the NC State match last Thursday, the Lady Vols had eight days off from match play as they start to transition to the thick of their schedule.
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"We have five days of practice under our belts," Ojeda said about heading into the weekend. "That is not something we have had since early January. To be honest, it's not something we will have again until we get to the postseason, so that was exciting."
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For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee women's tennis program, follow @Vol_WTennis on Twitter.
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ABOUT THE SERIES: In 2016, UT also faced Florida Gulf Coast and Georgia State in a weekend series in Fort Myers, Fla. Tennessee won both matches, 5-2. It was the first time the Lady Vols had faced FGCU on the courts, while the matchup with Georgia State marked the second time the two teams had played each other. The Panthers took the first match in 2014, beating UT in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 4-3.
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HISTORIC START: The Lady Vols' 10 consecutive wins to open this season marks the program's best start since 1990, when also UT won 10 straight to begin the year. Tennessee's current stretch also stands as the longest winning streak since 2001, when junior Alison Ojeda and the Lady Volunteers strung together 11 straight wins.
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UT IN THE RANKINGS: After the hot start to the season, Tennessee returned to the ITA's team rankings this week, coming in at 18th. Also cracking into the rankings was the duo of Ariadna Riley and Kaitlin Staines. The doubles team is 56th after starting the season a team-best 8-0 together.
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LAST WEEKEND: The Lady Vols won a huge 4-3 match at NC State, a team that Alison Ojeda praised as being the best UT has faced so far. After Tennessee claimed the doubles point, the Wolfpack was able to fight and even the score at 2-2. The Lady Vols would eventually pull away, as Gabby Schuck and Kaitlin Staines remained undefeated in dual-match play. Elizabeth Profit sealed the victory for UT by beating Bianca Moldovan in a 7-6 (2), 6-3 match.
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ROAD TRIP: Over the next month (Feb. 9-March 9), Tennessee will play nine matches in a row across the country before returning home against South Carolina on March 16. During the away stretch, the Vols will play matches in Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. So far, the team is 4-0 during the stretch.
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UP NEXT: Tennessee begins SEC play with a weekend series against Texas A&M (March 2) and LSU (March 4).
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UT (10-0) opens play with a match on Saturday against GSU before taking on FGCU on Sunday. Both matches will begin at 10 a.m.
Â
"Going into this weekend, with what we learned from the NC State match, executing early in a doubles set makes a massive difference," said head coach Alison Ojeda. "That sounds like common sense, but when you get out there, everyone is nervous. With our ranking, our team wants to go out and compete for each other. I love it because they care. We need to go out and play in doubles, because we will be ready to go in singles."
Â
Since the NC State match last Thursday, the Lady Vols had eight days off from match play as they start to transition to the thick of their schedule.
Â
"We have five days of practice under our belts," Ojeda said about heading into the weekend. "That is not something we have had since early January. To be honest, it's not something we will have again until we get to the postseason, so that was exciting."
Â
For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee women's tennis program, follow @Vol_WTennis on Twitter.
Â
ABOUT THE SERIES: In 2016, UT also faced Florida Gulf Coast and Georgia State in a weekend series in Fort Myers, Fla. Tennessee won both matches, 5-2. It was the first time the Lady Vols had faced FGCU on the courts, while the matchup with Georgia State marked the second time the two teams had played each other. The Panthers took the first match in 2014, beating UT in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 4-3.
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HISTORIC START: The Lady Vols' 10 consecutive wins to open this season marks the program's best start since 1990, when also UT won 10 straight to begin the year. Tennessee's current stretch also stands as the longest winning streak since 2001, when junior Alison Ojeda and the Lady Volunteers strung together 11 straight wins.
Â
UT IN THE RANKINGS: After the hot start to the season, Tennessee returned to the ITA's team rankings this week, coming in at 18th. Also cracking into the rankings was the duo of Ariadna Riley and Kaitlin Staines. The doubles team is 56th after starting the season a team-best 8-0 together.
Â
LAST WEEKEND: The Lady Vols won a huge 4-3 match at NC State, a team that Alison Ojeda praised as being the best UT has faced so far. After Tennessee claimed the doubles point, the Wolfpack was able to fight and even the score at 2-2. The Lady Vols would eventually pull away, as Gabby Schuck and Kaitlin Staines remained undefeated in dual-match play. Elizabeth Profit sealed the victory for UT by beating Bianca Moldovan in a 7-6 (2), 6-3 match.
Â
ROAD TRIP: Over the next month (Feb. 9-March 9), Tennessee will play nine matches in a row across the country before returning home against South Carolina on March 16. During the away stretch, the Vols will play matches in Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. So far, the team is 4-0 during the stretch.
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UP NEXT: Tennessee begins SEC play with a weekend series against Texas A&M (March 2) and LSU (March 4).
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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