Nov. 7, 2013
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina women’s tennis team will wrap up its fall schedule this week when it competes in the UNC-Kitty Harrison Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C., over Nov. 8-10.
Other teams in addition to South Carolina and host UNC include VCU, Virginia Tech, Virginia, William & Mary, Elon, Minnesota and Maryland. The Gamecocks will play doubles against Elon and William & Mary Friday morning followed by singles contests against Virginia in the afternoon. On Saturday, South Carolina has a morning doubles date with Minnesota and then plays singles against North Carolina and VCU for the afternoon session. Play finishes Sunday with the Gamecocks playing singles versus Virginia Tech.
The Gamecocks have not competed since the USTA/ITA Carolina Regional Championships from Oct. 17-21 in Chapel Hill. Freshman Brigit Folland headlined the Gamecocks’ efforts at the regional with an appearance in the quarterfinals. She knocked off the nation’s No. 42-ranked player from Duke in the round of 16 en route to a 3-1 record that weekend. Sophomore Ximena Siles Luna also produced in a big way for Carolina at the regional with an upset against the No. 45-ranked player before losing in three sets in the round of 16.
Siles Luna has been South Carolina’s most consistent performer this fall. She opened the season winning five matches in a row and claimed the singles title for her respective flight at the Tribe Invitational. Siles Luna has amassed the most singles wins of any Gamecock with a 7-2 record. Head coach Kevin Epley attributes Siles Luna’s improved play this fall to a strong work ethic and commitment to getting better.
“Initially, she just had to find out how committed she was to not so much tennis but to the work that is required to actually improve and engaging at this level,” Epley said. “She’s stepped it up just about every month she’s been here and more recently, this last semester, she’s really kind of made some strides with her conditioning. She’s been working on her mile run and just believing in herself a little bit and executing some of the things we’ve been talking about for over a year now; how to set up points with her forehand and so on. The regional tournament was the first real look at what the future Ximena will be like. She did a great job.”
In addition to Siles Luna and Folland, freshman Caroline Dailey has made an immediate impression. Like Siles Luna, she won her first five matches of the fall and now sits at 6-3 heading to Chapel Hill. Another newcomer, junior Oklahoma State transfer Meghan Blevins, has also been effective for Carolina this fall. Her 4-4 record in singles includes a victory against a top-60 opponent and she leads the team in doubles victories with a 6-2 slate.
Three of South Carolina’s other letterwinners from a year ago have shown solid production as well this fall. Junior Elixane Lechemia, now in her second season as a Gamecock, is 4-3 in singles and 5-3 in doubles after having her best tournament at the ITA Regionals. Senior Katerina Popova is 5-4 and 3-3, while classmate Dominika Kanakova is 3-3 and 2-2.
With the fall competition winding down, Epley is looking for his Gamecocks to continue improving in this final tournament and to make the most of the opportunities that present themselves.
“I just want to see us maintain the focus that we had starting the season, keep pushing and realize that as things wind down in terms of our season that this is an opportunity to get a leg up on the competition,” Epley said. “We’re a better team than last year, but the teams out there are better as well. I’ve seen a bunch of them at this point and across the board, the competition has gotten significantly stronger. It’s one of the strongest years I’ve seen in women’s tennis, so we have to hunker down and keep our attitude in the right place and keep getting better. Christmas break, hopefully they go home and work hard and we start the season off on the right foot.”
South Carolina will open dual match play at home Jan. 18 with a doubleheader against East Tennessee State and College of Charleston.
