Kentucky Women’s Tennis Begins Regular Season at Florida Gulf Coast
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Migrating south for warmer temperatures, the University of Kentucky women’s tennis team travels to Fort Myers, Florida, to begin its 47th season of varsity women’s tennis Wednesday against Florida Gulf Coast. The first serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
“I am enthusiastic and grateful to compete against a well-coached Florida Gulf Coast team,” said head coach Carlos Drada. “We look forward to an energetic competition tomorrow and through the weekend. Our players are committed to creating a season that is aligned with each one of their intentions and our team’s vision.”
Kentucky is expected to mix in a few fresh faces to its doubles and singles lineups this season. Freshman Carlota Molina recorded a 5-1 singles record in the preseason last fall, including claiming a singles title at the Wildcat Invite in October. It marked the first collegiate tournament of her career as she roared past three opponents to start the season undefeated. The 5’8″ newcomer from Gran Canaria, Spain, also paired well with seniors Diana and Anastasia Tkachenko last fall to file a 6-2 mark in the doubles column.
The Wildcats also added a Miami (Fla.) transfer to its roster this season in Carla Girbau. Like Molina, the sophomore from Barcelona, Spain, is expected to make an immediate impact in singles this season. Girbau competed in the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 slots in singles last season at Miami, recording a 6-4 record in dual matches, including a three-match win streak to begin the regular season.
Returning to Kentucky are national contenders Akvile Paražinskaite and Lesedi Jacobs, the 21st-best doubles team in the nation according to the final fall ITA Division I Women’s Doubles National Rankings.
The tandem paired up at the start of last fall to create one of the nation’s most dominant doubles teams, going 10-1 during the preseason. The pair of upperclassmen went undefeated through their first nine doubles matches, becoming the Ohio Valley Regional and Baylor Invite doubles champions and earning a bid to the 2019 ITA Fall Nationals. There, Paražinskaite and Jacobs tabbed a 1-1 mark, upsetting the 20th-ranked duo in Alexa Graham and Sara Daavettila of North Carolina.
The Eagles are the first of 11 non-conference opponents the Wildcats will face before the conference schedule begins Feb. 28. Seven of those non-conference contests are road matches.
Last season, FGCU went 11-10 (.524) during the season and 4-3 (.571) in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Missing a trip to the 2019 NCAA Championships, the Eagles return six players and have added two freshmen to this season’s roster.
Live scoring will not be available.
The 2019-20 Oracle/ITA Rankings will be available on Jan. 8.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.
