Gamecocks Gear Up for SEC Championship in Oklahoma
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s tennis team begins the 2026 SEC Championship against Arkansas on Wed., April 15, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
The Gamecocks will play in the first round of this year’s tournament as the 11th seed, while Arkansas is seeded 14th. The winner of this match will face the sixth-seeded Florida on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
This year’s tournament is hosted by the University of Oklahoma at the Headington Family Tennis Center & Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavilion in Norman, Okla. More information about the tournament can be found here.
GAMECOCK NOTABLES
- Record: 12-11 (overall), 5-0 (SEC), 10-5 (home), 1-6 (away)
- The Gamecocks closed out the regular season ranked No. 27 in the last edition of the ITA rankings. Kaitlyn Carnicella (No. 38) and Helena Buchwald (No. 41) represent the team in singles. Buchwald and doubles partner Lauren Friedman check in at No. 17.
- Buchwald leads the team with a strong 13-6 overall record in singles. She’s earned five wins from the No. 2 position over ranked opponents and boasts an 8-3 conference record.
- Buchwald and Friedman peaked at No. 9 in the ITA doubles rankings this season. The pair has a 12-8 (dual), 6-7 SEC ranking and has played from the top spot for 18 straight matches. They are also 4-6 against ranked opponents.
- Carnicella isn’t far behind with a 17-9, 9-7 (dual) record in singles. She has collected three ranked wins, most notably against Tennessee’s Katrina Scott, powering South Carolina to upset the then-ranked No. 15 Lady Vols.
- In doubles play, Carnciella tallied a 4-3 record with Jane Dunyon, a 4-4 record with Jana Stojanova, and a 2-4 record with Taylor Goetz.
- The Gamecocks are 11-9 when winning the doubles point. The two-match difference comes against Ole Miss and Kentucky, where South Carolina was able to grab four-straight singles victories to claim the overall match.
SCOUTING THE RAZORBACKS
- Record: 13-13 overall, 3-12 SEC, 9-7 home, 2-6 away
- The Razorbacks are currently ranked 54th in the nation and are the 14-seed in the SEC tournament.
- They are led by Carolina Gomez Alonso, who is ranked No. 32 in singles play. She has a 4-5 singles record.
- Gomez Alonso is ranked No. 20 in doubles with Anet Koskel, who boasts a 9-2 record as a pair.
- Arkansas snapped a three-match losing streak with a win over UMKC on Monday. Their three SEC wins come from defeating Missouri, South Carolina and Kentucky.
SERIES HISTORY
- The Gamecocks lead the overall series 29-10 and have traded wins back and forth since 2021.
- Last time out, Arkansas claimed a 4-1 win back on March 29th in Fayetteville.
- South Carolina holds a 3-1 advantage when the two teams face off at a neutral site. The two programs haven’t met in the SEC tournament since 2018, when Arkansas won, 4-2, in the first round.
FOLLOW ALONG
