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Women’s Tennis Concludes Home Schedule This Weekend
Women's Tennis  . 

Women’s Tennis Concludes Home Schedule This Weekend

Columbia, S.C. – ­No. 25 South Carolina women’s tennis will conclude the home portion of their season this weekend, hosting No. 54 Arkansas and Missouri for SEC action. The Gamecocks will host the Razorback on Fri., March 31 at 5:00 p.m. before hosting the Tigers on Sun., April 2, at 11:00 a.m.

The team will host a Faculty Appreciation Night on Friday with free rally towels available to faculty who show their Carolina Card at the marketing table. Sunday will be the team’s annual senior day where they will honor graduating senior Ana Cruz in her final match at the Carolina Tennis Center.

Admission to both matches is free and open to the public. Gates will open one hour prior to the start of each match and free parking is available in the Heyward Street garage. Those not in attendance can watch live streaming against Arkansas here and live stats here. Live streaming against Missouri will be available here with live stats available here.

Gamecock Notables

  • South Carolina cracked the top-25 in the ITA Rankings for the first time this season, coming in at No. 25.
  • The Gamecocks are riding a four-match win streak into the weekend, having earned a pair of wins over then-No. 68 Kentucky and then-No. 23 Vanderbilt in their last home appearance and picking up wins at Ole Miss and Mississippi State this past weekend.
  • Two Gamecocks make appearances in the latest ITA Singles Rankings – No. 6 Ayana Akli and No. 16 Sarah Hamner.
  • Akli’s No. 6 ranking is the highest of her career and has been on the climb this season thanks to her perfect 12-0 record in dual play. Akli is currently on a 15-match win streak with 11 of those wins coming over ranked opponents including two in the top-15.
  • No. 16 Hamner is on a four-match singles win streak and has a 6-3 record in dual play. After sitting out the beginning of the dual season due to injury, Hamner has returned at the No. 2 position where she is 5-3 and has picked up ranked wins over No. 37 Carson Branstine of Texas A&M and No. 80 Anna Ross of Vanderbilt.
  • Also on a four-match singles win streak is sophomore Misa Malkin. Malkin has been a consistent force in the singles lineup and has won each of her last four competed matches with three of them in straight sets.
  • In doubles, Akli and Hamner come in the ITA Doubles Rankings at No. 70. The duo is 4-1 in dual play from the No. 1 position and have an overall record of 11-6.
  • Cruz and junior Allie Gretkowski have also been a consistent force in the doubles lineup. The duo is 8-3 in dual play including a perfect 4-0 mark at the No. 3 position.

Scouting the Razorbacks

  • Arkansas is 9-8 on the season with a 3-5 record in conference play. When on the road, the team is 3-6.
  • In conference play, the Razorback have defeated then-No. 66 Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and then-No. 28 Vanderbilt. All three wins came on their home courts in Arkansas.
  • Currently sitting at No. 54 in the ITA Team Rankings, Arkansas has been ranked as high as No. 42 this season.
  • The Razorbacks have been led this season by No. 79 Kelly Keller. Keller, a senior, is 7-6 from the No. 1 position and has an 8-6 overall record in dual play.
  • Also in the ITA Singles Rankings for Arkansas is No. 85 Carolina Gomez Alonso. The freshman has spent time at the No. 2 and 3 positions this season and has a 7-3 record in dual play. She enters the weekend on a three-match singles win streak.
  • Junior Morgan Cross has been a consistent No. 5 for the team where she has a perfect 8-0 record and a four-match win streak.
  • In doubles, cross is ranked No. 23 with partner Indianna Spink. The duo plays at the No. 1 position where they are 10-2 including a 4-1 mark in SEC action.

Scouting the Tigers

  • Missouri is 10-10 on the season with a 1-7 record in conference play. They are currently under the leadership of interim head coach Bianca Turati.
  • Missouri’s lone SEC win came in a 4-2 decision over Mississippi State on their home courts in Springfield.
  • Junior Mae Canete is Missouri’s lone ranked player. Canete has a 19-8 singles record according to the ITA with the majority of her wins coming during tournament play in the fall.

For all the latest South Carolina women’s tennis information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockWTennis).

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