TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Despite the 4-0 loss, the No. 16 Florida State women’s tennis team was right there with the fifth-ranked Florida Gators today at the Scott Speicher Tennis Center. The Seminoles move to 8-3 on the year while the Gators are 7-2.
“I didn’t think we started off competing as hard as we needed to,” head coach Jennifer Hyde said. “Towards the end of the match, we started competing when we needed to. We needed to come out of the shoots more confident and trusting of our game a little more.”
In doubles, sophomore Mia Vriens and senior Amy Sargeant dominated in their match against Olivia Janowicz and Danielle Collins on court three, winning by a score of 8-1.
Although the Seminoles had the momentum, it wouldn’t be enough to secure the doubles point as the other two courts were working from major deficits.
Francesca Segarelli and Kristina Schleich fell on court one to Alexandra Cercone and Soife Oyen, 8-2.
On court two, sophomore Daneika Borthwick and Kerrie Cartwright battled every point, however they fell to the No. 57-ranked pair of Briana Morgan and Lauren Embree, 8-2.
In singles, Oyen (No. 11) was too much for Borthwick (No. 37) on court two, as she fell 6-0, 6-1.
Four of the seven games played in the first set for Vriens (No. 118) were decided with long, extra points, none of which fell in her favor. Vriens dropped her match to the top-ranked Embree on court one, 6-1, 6-1.
At this point in the contest, Florida State was up in two of the four matches left in play, while trailing 3-0.
In both sets, Sargeant went out in front before surrendering the lead to Cercone (No. 53) on court three. Sargeant lost her first match of the spring, 6-4, 6-3 as the Gators took the match 4-0.
The three remaining matches went unfinished once Florida captured the fourth point.
After being down 4-1 in the first set on court six, Schleich won the next nine games, setting herself up to take the match against Carolina Hitimana 6-4, 5-2. She was up 30-15 right as the match was called.
On court four, Segarelli worked out of a 1-3 deficit against Morgan to go up 4-3. Segarelli was up a break, before the match was tied 5-5. She would go on to take a grueling first set, 7-5. The match was halted with Segarelli up 2-0 in the second.
“In years past Florida killed us,” Segarelli said. “This year, we were right there with them. I’m leaving this court okay, I don’t feel defeated. Hopefully, we’ll see them again at nationals.”
Cartwright quickly fell behind in her first set against Janowicz (No. 109) 6-1. However, she battled back putting herself in a position to win the second set, but the match was called with Cartwright ahead 5-4.
“Three through six were super tight today,” Hyde said. “Fran and Kristina were in complete control of their matches. The level was pretty solid. It’s tough but with a team like Florida, you have to be better in a few different spots in order to win.”
The Seminoles hit the road for an ACC match against Georgia Tech on March 10 at 12 p.m. For more information on the weekend, check back to Seminoles.com, Twitter and Facebook.
#5 Florida 4, #16 Florida State University 0
Singles competition
1. #1 Lauren Embree (UF) def. #118 Vriens, Mia (FSU) 6-1, 6-1
2. #11 Sofie Oyen (UF) def. #37 Borthwick, Daneika (FSU) 6-0, 6-1
3. #53 Alexandra Cercone (UF) def. Sargeant, Amy (FSU) 6-4, 6-3
4. #72 Segarelli, Francesca (FSU) vs. Brianna Morgan (UF) 7-5, 2-0, unfinished
5. Cartwright, Kerrie (FSU) vs. #109 Oliva Janowicz (UF) 1-6, 5-4, unfinished
6. Schleich, Kristina (FSU) vs. Caroline Hitimana (UF) 6-4, 5-2, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Alexandra Cercone/Sofie Oyen (UF) def. Segarelli, Francesca/Schleich, Kristina (FSU) 8-2
2. #57 Lauren Embree/Brianna Morgan (UF) def. Borthwick, Daneika/Cartwright, Kerrie (FSU) 8-2
3. Vriens, Mia/Sargeant, Amy (FSU) def. Danielle Collins/Oliva Janowicz (UF) 8-1
