Women's Tennis . March 28, 2018

Gamecocks Return Home To Host Missouri, Arkansas

March 28, 2018

Missouri & No. 48 Arkansas at No. 6 South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. – After recording a perfect road record in SEC play for the first time in program history, No. 6 South Carolina women’s tennis (16-3, 8-0 SEC) will close the regular season at the Carolina Tennis Center with a five-match homestand beginning this week.

The Gamecocks will look to extend their perfect 8-0 record at home, hosting Missouri at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and No. 48 Arkansas at 12 p.m. Saturday.

South Carolina is in the midst of a historic season, holding an 11-match winning streak for the first time since 1984-85 and starting the SEC season in first place at 8-0 for the first time in program history.

The team is coming off a successful road weekend, completing the program’s first undefeated SEC road slate with two 4-1 wins at No. 15 Auburn on Thursday and Alabama on Saturday. Head Coach Kevin Epley reached two milestones on the latest road trip, recording 250 career wins with Thursday’s win and 100 wins at South Carolina with Saturday’s win. Prior to that weekend, the team earned two big wins at No. 30 Tennessee and No. 8 Georgia, marking the first regular season road win at Georgia since 1996.

South Carolina is 6-0 all-time against Missouri with a six-match winning streak dating back to Jan. 26, 2013. The Gamecock are 24-6 all-time against Arkansas, winning the last two matches in 2016 and 2017.

QUOTABLE

“We are happy to be back home for a stretch of matches. It’s good to get the road matches behind us. This is the time of year when some teams fatigue and others start gaining steam. Right now, we are focused on improving the little things, and bringing it all for each and every match moving forward through the next three weeks. I expect this weekend to be very competitive. Both Missouri and Arkansas will play hard, so we expect an exciting atmosphere at the Carolina Tennis Center.”– Head Coach Kevin Epley

GAMECOCK NOTABLES

The Gamecocks’ current No. 6 ranking from Oracle/ITA is tied for the highest in program history. The team finished the 1982-83 season ranked at No. 6 after achieving a 22-5 overall record.
South Carolina joins 10 other SEC schools in the Top 50 team rankings announced on March 27. In the league, the Gamecocks trail just Vanderbilt, which ranks at No. 2.
The Gamecocks are the only undefeated team in SEC play at 8-0 and are in sole possession of first place in the conference standings.
This season marks the first time in program history the Gamecocks have ever opened SEC play at 8-0 and is the first time South Carolina went undefeated in SEC road play.
With South Carolina’s wins at Auburn and at Alabama this past weekend, Epley reached two major career milestones: 250 career wins and 100 wins at South Carolina, respectively.
The Gamecocks have amassed seven doubles points in eight SEC matches this season. Their sole loss in doubles came against Georgia on March 18.
With her win over Alabama’s Smith Hinton on Saturday, Hadley Berg’s 21-5 singles record this season has her at 95-32 overall, five wins shy of 100 on her career, with a winning percentage of .748 that ranks seventh in school history. She is looking to become just the fourth player in school history with 100 wins.
With her two wins in singles this weekend, Mia Horvit holds a three-match wining streak dating back to March 18 at Georgia. The All-American had a perfect weekend, going 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles with partner Ingrid Gamarra Martins.
South Carolina is 7-2 against ranked opponents this season, including wins at No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 11 Texas, No. 35 Texas A&M, No. 36 LSU, No. 30 Tennessee, No. 8 Georgia and No. 15 Auburn. The Gamecocks hold a six-match winning streak against ranked opponents dating back to March 3 at Ole Miss.
With her win at No. 2 singles, Berg passed Tamara Sutton for sixth on the South Carolina career singles wins list with 95 overall.
Ranked in singles: Hadley Berg (31), Ingrid Gamarra Martins (52)
Ranked in doubles: Megan Davies and Silvia Chinellato (65), Paige Cline and Ingrid Gamarra Martins (72)
The Gamecocks are 7-1 on the road this season and are 6-0 in SEC road play.
South Carolina has utilized 11 doubles pairs in 2018. Junior Rachel Rohrabacher and freshman Megan Davies lead the team at 9-1 in 2018 and are 8-1 in dual match play.
The Gamecocks have amassed seven sweeps this season: Oklahoma, Clemson, North Florida, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 35 Texas A&M.
Rohrabacher is 10-0 in 2018 singles play and holds a 12-match winning streak dating back to Jan. 14, 2018 at Florida Gulf Coast University.

SCOUTING MISSOURI

Missouri is 11-10 overall and last in the league at 0-7 in SEC play this season.
Missouri has never defeated South Carolina in six all-time meetings between the teams dating back to Jan. 26, 2003
Mackenzy Middlebrooks leads the team in singles at 12-4 this season, but is 1-4 in SEC play. Along with Middlebrooks, Ellie Wright and Ally Noback are the other Tigers who have winning records in 2018 singles play at 9-8 and 1-0, respectively.
As a team, Missouri is 1-13 against nationally-ranked singles players and 0-3 against nationally-ranked doubles teams.
Missouri is 0-8 against nationally-ranked opponents. It has been swept twice this season against Kentucky and Texas A&M.
The Tigers have a losing record at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles at 9-10, but are 17-2 overall at No. 3. The tandem of Mackenzy Middlebrooks and Ellie Wright has been productive at the No. 3 doubles spot with a 15-2 record.
The doubles tandem of Serena Nash and Clare Raley has fared well at No. 1 doubles with a 6-2 record there.
Head Coach Colt Gaston is in his second season with the team.
In Gaston’s first season in 2017, Missouri finished 11-14 overall and 2-11 in SEC play.
Last season, Missouri sent the tandem of Amina Ismail and Bea Machado Santos to the 2017 NCAA Doubles Tournament, becoming the program’s first duo to make the tournament since 2003.

SCOUTING No. 48 ARKANSAS

Arkansas is 5-11 overall and 1-6 in SEC play with a six-match losing streak dating back to March 9 against Kentucky.
The Razorbacks face Florida in an away match on Thursday before taking on the Gamecocks at the Carolina Tennis Center on Saturday. Arkansas is 2-3 in road matches this season.
Ranked in singles: Giulia Pairone (55), Ana Oparenovic (76)
Ranked in doubles: Tatum Rice and Ana Oparenovic (40), Jackie Carr and Tatum Rice (59) and Leolia Jeanjean and Giulia Pairone (63)
The Razorbacks have struggled in singles this season, holding a losing record at every lineup spot except No. 2 singles, where they are 7-7 this season.
Giulia Pairone is the sole Razorback with a winning singles record at 9-3 this season. Pairone is 2-3 in SEC singles play.
In doubles, the No. 40 Oparenovic and Rice have been productive at No. 1 with an 11-3 record in dual match play. Mia Jurasic and Pairone have also been a key tandem for Arkansas in doubles, holding a 5-1 record in SEC play.
The Razorbacks are 12-3 and 11-3 at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, respectively, but are 4-10 at No. 3 doubles.
Arkansas is 1-7 against nationally-ranked opponents, defeating No. 15 Kansas, 4-3, at home on Feb. 23.
Arkansas’ roster is composed of two freshmen, three sophomores, four juniors and two seniors.
Head Coach Michael Hegarty is in his 15th season with the team. Hegarty coached the Razorbacks to two SEC West Division Championships in 2008 and 2009.
Last season, Arkansas finished 18-10 overall and 7-6 in SEC play.

UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS

The Gamecocks will continue their five-match homestand against Florida at 1 p.m. on April 7. South Carolina is 2-44 all-time against the Gators and has not defeated them since May 16, 1982. Florida, which is ranked at No. 12 in this week’s Oracle/ITA polls, owns a 40-match winning streak over South Carolina.

For updates, continue to check back with GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team on social media (@GamecockWTennis).