Gamecocks Ranked 14th to Begin 2021

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina women’s tennis team is ranked 14th to begin the 2021 season according to the Oracle Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll released Thursday. It marks four consecutive seasons the Gamecocks have begun the year ranked among the nation’s top 15 teams and five straight years being among the top 20.

The Gamecocks ended the shortened 2020 season ranked No. 19. South Carolina held an 8-4 record and had won five straight matches when the season was first postponed and later canceled. Carolina was also off to a 4-0 start in SEC play, one of only two teams to begin league play undefeated after the first two weekends of conference matches.

Yesterday, the ITA unveiled its first set of individual rankings for the spring that saw Megan Davies, Mia Horvit, Emma Shelton and Silvia Chinellato all listed in its polls as well.

In the singles rankings, Davies topped the Gamecocks with a No. 30 billing after finishing the 2020 season at No. 25. Davies led the Gamecocks in singles victories in 2019-20 with a 24-12 slate and saw her game ascend to another level. She began that fall ranked No. 125 and ended at No. 27 after reaching the semifinals of both the ITA Carolina Regional Championships and the ITA Fall National Championships. Davies catapulted to a career-high 20th in the Feb. 18, 2020, rankings and was listed at No. 25 in the final set of rankings published before the season was canceled.

Horvit checked in at No. 34 in yesterday’s rankings after finishing 2020 at No. 39. A two-time All-American, Horvit finished out 2020 being named the UTR/ITA National Player of the Week in addition to SEC Player of the Week after helping the Gamecocks move to 4-0 in SEC play with wins against Texas A&M and LSU. Horvit played the No. 1 singles spot for all but one match in 2020 and posted a 5-3 record at the position. Overall, she finished 18-10 in singles with 10 of her victories coming against ranked opponents.

Shelton earned a No. 93 ranking in the singles poll, just one spot below where she finished the 2020 campaign. A freshman last season, Shelton got off to an incredible start in the spring with an 11-0 record in singles after going 8-3 during the fall. She played matches at the Nos. 2-4 positions but saw the majority of her work come at No. 3 singles where she went 7-0. Shelton’s impressive season enabled her to win the ITA Carolina Region Rookie of the Year award.

Two Gamecock duos appeared in the doubles rankings with Chinellato and Shelton placing 20th followed by Davies and Horvit at No. 29. Chinellato and Shelton were ranked as high as No. 12 last season before appearing at No. 24 in the final poll, while Davies and Horvit were No. 56 at their peak and finished 77th. Chinellato and Shelton were the Gamecocks’ most productive duo in 2019-20 with a 13-4 record and held down the No. 2 spot in the lineup for the majority of the spring. Davies and Horvit solidified themselves as Carolina’s No. 1 tandem last year and were 7-5 overall.

The Gamecocks get their season underway Saturday hosting East Tennessee State and Coastal Carolina at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.