March 5, 2009
Up Next
The 29th-ranked South Carolina women’s tennis team opens SEC play Friday at No. 33 Vanderbilt at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Gamecocks stand at 5-3 after suffering a 5-2 loss at Clemson on Feb. 22. The Commodores have played just four matches this spring and are 3-1. Their last match was a 6-1 victory over Yale on Feb. 21. After Vanderbilt, South Carolina heads to No. 14 Kentucky to face the Wildcats on Sunday at noon ET. Kentucky boasts a perfect 8-0 record following a 4-3 victory against Clemson on March 1. UK takes on No. 31 Florida on Friday before squaring off with the Gamecocks.
Last Time Out
South Carolina lost a 5-2 decision at Clemson on Feb. 22 to fall to 5-3 this spring. The Gamecocks’ top doubles team of Ana Marija Zubori and Natasa Vuckovic managed a win, but the Tigers claimed the other two positions to lead early. In singles, freshman Dijana Stojic had a successful debut at the No. 3 position by winning in straight sets. South Carolina’s other point came from Miljana Jocic at six singles, where she won a pro set. Zubori and Vuckovic both lost in three sets on courts two and four, while Gira Schofield and Ashley Miller were defeated in straight sets at the Nos. 1 and 5 slots.
Vanderbilt Series History
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series with the Gamecocks 14-11. Last year, the Commodores came to Columbia, S.C., with a No. 14 national ranking and were handed a 4-3 loss. The Gamecocks dominated the doubles point and then won the top three singles positions, two of which came in three sets. Gira Schofield clinched the match at No. 1 with the team score tied at 3-all by defeating Amanda Taylor in a third-set tiebreaker. Schofield fought off several match points prior to the breaker before registering an exciting victory for the home crowd. The Gamecocks last won in Nashville, Tenn., in 2005 when Vanderbilt was ranked No. 5 in the country. Eight of the past 10 meetings have belonged to Vanderbilt and the Commodores are 7-3 all-time in Nashville when playing South Carolina.
Kentucky Series History
South Carolina and Kentucky have developed a habit of playing extremely close matches. In the last 11 meetings, the final margin of victory has been by one point. Overall, Kentucky holds the same 14-11 edge in the series as Vanderbilt. The Wildcats edged the Gamecocks in Columbia, S.C., last year by winning the doubles and three singles contests. Kentucky has won six of the last seven meetings. The Gamecocks have lost three in a row in Lexington, Ky., with their last win coming by a 6-3 score Feb. 26, 2000. The Wildcats are 7-3 all-time against South Carolina in Lexington.
Check out the PDF link above for more information on the Gamecock women’s tennis team.
