Kentucky Hosts No. 16 Florida, No. 34 South Carolina for Weekend Matches
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 63 Kentucky women’s tennis team returns to action for a pair of home matches this weekend against No. 16 Florida on Friday, April 1 and No. 34 South Carolina on Saturday, April 3. Both contests will begin at 12 p.m. ET at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center.
The Wildcats, who own a 12-8 record on the season with a 0-7 mark in league play, are seeking their first Southeastern Conference win this week. In its last outing, Kentucky dropped a 6-1 decision to No. 47 Vanderbilt with Fiona Arrese picking up the lone point for the home team.
In total, UK has won 13 out of the 20 opening points for a 28-18 ledger in doubles, also sporting a 48-51 singles record. Florencia Urrutia paces the Wildcats with a 13-3 mark in singles action while the tandem of Ellie Eades and Carla Girbau have a team-leading 8-5 record in doubles, followed closely by Arrese and Urrutia at 7-3.
Sixteenth-ranked Florida, which is currently on a six-match win streak, will arrive in Lexington with a 14-4 record on the year and are 6-2 in SEC action. The Gators have two ranked singles players in No. 22 McCartney Kessler and No. 58 Marlee Zein, while the latter joins Carly Briggs to clock in at sixth in doubles. UK trails UF 42-3 in the all-time series with its last win coming on home court in a 4-3 decision in 2019.
Landing at No. 34 is South Carolina, which boasts 10-7 and 5-3 marks overall and in the conference, respectively. Sarah Hamner, the second-ranked singles player in the country, is joined by No. 61 Ayana Akli and No. 86 Elise Mills in the most recent ITA poll along with the 23rd-ranked duo of Hamner and Misa Malkin. The Wildcats’ last win over the Gamecocks, who leads the series at 17-25, dates back to the 2013 season.
Admission to all home tennis matches is free for the 2022 season. Free parking options include the three small E-lots adjacent to the facility 90 minutes prior to the first match. Spectators may also pay to park in the Sports Center Garage (PS No. 7) on the corner of Complex Drive and Sports Center Drive. The cost of parking is $2 per hour with a $16 maximum.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
