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Gamecocks Face Terps in First Round of NCAA Tournament
Women's Tennis  . 

Gamecocks Face Terps in First Round of NCAA Tournament

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The No. 32 South Carolina women’s tennis team kicks off the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon as they face No. 33 Maryland in the first round at 1 p.m., at the Chewning Tennis Center at UNC.

The winner will take on the winner of UNC vs. Charleston Southern on Saturday at 4 p.m.

GAMECOCK NOTABLES

  • Record: 12-12 (overall), 5-10 (SEC), 10-5 (home), 1-6 (away). 1-1 (neutral)
  • The Gamecocks sit 33rd in the nation heading into the tournament. They finished the regular season No. 27 and currently sit 32nd. Kaitlyn Carnicella (No. 41) and Helena Buchwald (No. 3) represent the team in singles. Buchwald and doubles partner Lauren Friedman check in at No. 17.
  • Buchwald leads the team with a strong 14-6 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 and currently sit at No. 12. The pair has a 13-8 (dual), 6-7 SEC ranking and has played from the top spot for 19 straight matches. They are also 4-6 against ranked opponents.
  • Carnicella isn’t far behind with a 17-10, 9-8 (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 5-4 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.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

  • This marks the Gamecocks 31st consecutive NCAA appearance. South Carolina has booked a spot in the tournament every year since 1995.
  • The Garnet & Black have advanced to the Round of 16 or better five times, as well as two trips to the quarterfinals in 2009 and 2019.
  • Head coach Kevin Epley has led the team to the tournament every season with the Gamecocks.
  • Last season, South Carolina fell to UNC in the second round.

SCOUTING THE TERPS

  • Maryland sits at No. 33 in the country after finishing the regular season 16-6. The Terps fell in the semifinals of the Big 10 Tournament to three-seeded Michigan.
  • This marks the first tournament appearance since 2011 for Maryland. This will be the seventh NCAA tournament appearance, following 1996, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006, and 2011. The Terps have never won a match in the tournament.
  • Olivia Orlinska represents Maryland in the ITA Singles rankings, as she is No. 117 with a 20-12 overall record.
  • Diya Challa and Emma Ghirardato are No. 32 in the nation in doubles play with a 6-4 record.

SERIES HISTORY

  • The two teams have only met three times in program history. The first match-up was in 2004, and they met for two consecutive years following.
  • South Carolina holds a close 2-1 advantage, having won the first two matchups.

FOLLOW ALONG

Live scoring will be available on StatBroadcast, with live streaming found here. Fans can also follow along through in-match updates on X @GamecockWTennis.

For the latest South Carolina Women’s Tennis information, continue to follow Gamecocksonline.com and the team on social media (@GamecocksWTennis).

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