Gamecocks Set to Host No. 12 Clemson on Sunday

Feb. 15, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The No. 32-ranked South Carolina women’s tennis team will take on instate rival and 12th-ranked Clemson on Sunday at Carolina Tennis Center in Columbia, S.C., at noon.

Sunday’s match-up marks the 49th meeting between Carolina and Clemson in women’s tennis in a series that dates back to 1976. The Tigers hold a slight edge in the series at 25-23 and saw a five-match winning streak against the Gamecocks snapped the last time they visited Columbia in 2012. South Carolina dropped the doubles point to Clemson in that match but captured four victories in singles to earn the 4-3 win against the then-No. 17 Tigers. Last season, the Tigers took a 6-1 decision over the Gamecocks in Clemson, S.C., despite losing the doubles point.

South Carolina (6-1) enters the contest coming off a trio of 7-0 wins last week against Furman, Charleston Southern and Davidson. The Gamecocks’ lone defeat this season came by a 5-2 score to No. 10 Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. Clemson (6-2) wrapped up play in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships with wins against No. 13 Michigan and No. 15 Vanderbilt after losing to No. 4 California in the first round. The Tigers’ other loss this year came at the hands of No. 8 Georgia.

“The challenge is they’re very strong and they’re very talented,” South Carolina head coach Kevin Epley said. “They’re a team full of foreigners who were very good junior players. They’ve done a wonderful job recruiting internationally, and they’re just solid. I think that we’re going to have to come out, bring our `A’ games, if you will, and I think we’re going to have to compete really, really hard on every court to have a shot. They just have a lot of the top players out there and they come together all on one team. It makes for a very good team.”

The latest ITA rankings have two Gamecocks among the top 125 nationally in singles play. Senior Katerina Popova jumped into the rankings this week at No. 69, thanks in large part to an upset of then-No. 28 Danielle Collins of Virginia earlier this month. Popova is 10-5 overall this season and tied for the team’s best record in dual matches with a 5-1 mark between courts one and two. Freshman Brigit Folland is South Carolina’s other ranked competitor at 112th. Folland is tied for the team lead in singles victories this season with 12 and was recently named SEC Freshman of the Week.

Clemson has four players among the nation’s top 100 led by Yana Koroleva at No. 40. Behind the senior from Moscow is Romy Kolzer at 54th, followed by No. 85 Tristen Dewar and No. 90 Beatrice Gumulya. Gumulya and Jessy Rompies are ranked 28th in doubles and Gumulya also holds a No. 55 billing with Koroleva. Koroleva is also ranked twice in doubles, standing 58th with Dewar.

Following the Clemson match-up, South Carolina will host a doubleheader Friday against South Carolina State and North Florida at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.