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#12 South Carolina vs. #5 Vanderbilt | #19 Kentucky | SC State
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Series Breakdowns
Opponent Last Meeting (Date) Series
Vanderbilt L, 6-1 (4/3/15) VU, 20-12
Kentucky W, 4-0 (4/5/15) USC, 20-15
SC State L, 4-0 (3/22/15) USC, 4-0

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Flying high after a 2-0 start to league play, No. 12 South Carolina women’s tennis continues SEC play this weekend as it hosts two top-20 showdowns at the Carolina Tennis Center. The Gamecocks battle No. 5 Vanderbilt Thurs., March 10, at 5 p.m., before taking on No. 19 Kentucky on Saturday at 1 p.m. South Carolina and South Carolina State will also meet on Saturday at 6 p.m. Attendance and parking at all home matches is free.

Carolina, which is 10-2 for the second time in three years, fell to Vanderbilt, 6-1, last season as the Commodores went on to win the SEC and become NCAA Champions. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks recorded 4-0 sweeps of Kentucky and South Carolina State in 2015. The Gamecocks have won nine of their last 10 meetings against the Wildcats.

Quotable

Head Coach Kevin Epley: “We played Vanderbilt close last year. Of course, they were the National Champions and the SEC Champions, but we had match points to win the doubles and some very close matches in singles. With Kentucky, we played one of our better matches of the season last year. It was actually the first match where everyone stepped up and competed across the board the way we expect. They’re both very good teams. We’re just happy to have the opportunity to play them at home. Hopefully, we can get a win against some of the best competition in the country. We’re sitting up there pretty high in the rankings, but still feel like we have something to prove.”

In The Rankings

For the second consecutive week, South Carolina comes in at No. 12 in the Oracle/ITA Rankings. Prior to last week, it was the program’s highest mark since 2002. The Gamecocks have been on the rise, jumping from No. 37 to No. 17 two weeks ago, before moving to No. 12 last week. New to the rankings is the doubles team of freshman Paige Cline and sophomore Hadley Berg, which enters at No. 54. The duo is a perfect 6-0 this spring, all from the No. 1 position in the lineup. Individually, junior Caroline Dailey is No. 109, while Cline checks in at No. 110.

Quick Hits

  • The Gamecocks are 3-0 against top-30 opponents this season.
  • Nine of the Gamecocks’ 12 opponents have been ranked in the Oracle/ITA Rankings at some point this season.
  • The Gamecocks have won the doubles point in 10-of-12 matches this spring, posting a 1-1 record when dropping the point.
  • Carolina is a combined 19-2 in the No. 4 and 5 spots of the singles lineup this spring.
  • Carolina is a combined 16-2 in the No. 4 and 5 spots of the singles lineup this spring.
  • Sophomore Hadley Berg is perfect in her first 10 singles results, capturing all 10 matches in straight sets.
  • Junior Brigit Folland has racked up six straight victories en route to a 9-1 spring record.
  • Freshman Ingrid Gamarra Martins is 9-2 this spring in singles, and leads the team at 2-0 in three-set matches.

Scouting No. 5 Vanderbilt

  • The defending National Champions are 8-2, 1-0 in the SEC this spring after a 5-2 win over Kentucky on Sunday.
  • Vanderbilt is 6-2 against top-30 teams with both losses coming against No. 2 Ohio State.
  • The Commodores have lost four-straight doubles points, but are 3-1 as a team over that stretch.
  • Ranked in singles: No. 16 Frances Altick, No. 24 Sydney Campbell, No. 33 Astra Sharma
  • Ranked in doubles: No. 9 Courtney Colton and Campbell, No. 61 Sharma and Ellie Yates

Scouting No. 19 Kentucky

  • The Wildcats enter the weekend at 11-2, 0-1 in the SEC and take on No. 18 Florida Thursday in Gainesville, Fla.
  • Powered by a 10-match win streak, Kentucky is enjoying its best start since the 2007 season when it strung together a 15-1 record.
  • Ranked in singles: No. 42 Aldila Sutjiadi
  • Ranked in doubles: No. 5 Sutijadi and Mami Adachi
  • Ranked in doubles: No. 9 Courtney Colton and Campbell, No. 61 Sharma and Ellie Yates

Scouting South Carolina State

  • The Bulldogs enter the weekend 1-7, 1-0 in the MEAC and take on Coastal Carolina on Thursday before traveling to Columbia, S.C.
  • SC State last played on Tuesday, falling to Campbell, 6-1.
  • The Gamecocks lead the series, 4-0, including a 4-0 sweep in 2015.

Up Next

Carolina is on the road for the first time in SEC play as it travels to No. 28 Mississippi State on Fri., March 18, at 4 p.m., and to No. 27 Ole Miss on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Gamecocks pulled out close victories against both squads last season, defeating the Bulldogs, 4-3, and the Rebels, 4-2.

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