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Women’s Tennis Opens 2026 Season at Home on Sunday
Women's Tennis  . 

Women’s Tennis Opens 2026 Season at Home on Sunday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s tennis team opens the 2026 season with a pair of matches this weekend inside the Carolina Indoor Tennis Center. The Gamecocks welcome in-state programs Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina on Sun., Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively.

FALL RECAP

  • The Gamecocks wrapped up the fall season with a 28-15 (1-0 ranked) overall singles record and 19-8 (1-0) doubles record after competing in four tournaments.
  • Kaitlyn Carnicella (No. 24 singles) led South Carolina in the ITA preseason rankings. Carnicella and doubles partner Daniela Piani were ranked No. 68 in doubles.
  • Following the fall season, the Gamecocks had six entries appear in the final ITA polls.
    • Singles: No. 54 Kaitlyn Carnicella, No. 108 Daniela Piani, No. 121 Bella Bergqvist Larsson
    • Doubles: No. 8 Bergqvist Larsson/Carnicella, No. 44 Friedman/Buchwald, No. 63 Friedman/Borkop
  • At the Debbie Southern Furman Fall Classic, South Carolina delivered strong performances across multiple flight finals, highlighted by Carnicella’s straight-set win over her first-ranked opponent of the season. In Flight 2, Bergqvist Larsson opened with a 6-4 first-set win and prevailed in a tightly contested second set by dominating the tiebreak.
  • Three Gamecocks competed in the ITA All-American qualifying rounds, with Carnicella advancing to the round of 32.
  • Carnicella went on to reach the singles quarterfinals of the ITA Regional Championships. The doubles pair of Carnicella and Bergqvist Larsson also advanced after an 8-3 win in the round of 16.
  • At the ITA Sectional Championships, Daniela Piani battled her way to the round of 16 before falling short.

MEET THE TEAM

  • Freshmen Jane Dunyon, Daniela Piani, and Sara Borkop are the newest additions to the 2025-26 roster, alongside Sophomore Taylor Goetz, who joins the team as a transfer from Pepperdine.
  • South Carolina welcomes back seven members from last season’s squad, including one graduate student, one junior, and five sophomores.

SCOUTING THE BUCCANEERS

  • Charleston Southern opened its season on Sat., Jan. 17 against Florida before traveling to Columbia to face the Gamecocks.
  • The Buccaneers finished the 2024-25 season 17-5 (5-0 Big South), claiming the Big South Championship title and falling to NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The title marked CSU’s fourth Big South crown in the past five seasons.
  • Charleston Southern’s 2025 fall season concluded at the ITA Carolina Regionals, finishing 10-9 overall (6-6 singles, 4-3 doubles).

SCOUTING THE CHANTICLEERS

  • South Carolina will be Coastal Carolina’s first opponent of the 2026 season.
  • Last season, the Chanticleers finished 10-11 (4-6 Sun Belt) and fell in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
  • Coastal Carolina wrapped up the fall season with a 6-6 record at the College of Charleston Halloween Invite. Two Chanticleers also earned bids to the main draw of the ITA Carolina Regionals.

SERIES HISTORY

  • The Gamecocks lead both programs in the all-time series.
  • Against Charleston Southern, South Carolina holds a 7-0 advantage, with all wins coming at home. The Gamecocks also opened the 2025 season against the Buccaneers on Jan. 19.
  • South Carolina leads Coastal Carolina 9-0, with all wins taking place in Columbia. The Gamecocks last faced the Chanticleers nearly a year ago on Jan. 19.

 

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