Dang, it’s hard to keep up. With the softball, baseball, and gymnastics teams getting all the attention, I’ve barely noticed women’s tennis and lacrosse.
These girls have a more than good chance to win another national championship. Go Gators!! Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI Real Estate Broker PARKS 305B Indian Lake Blvd Suite 220 Hendersonville TN 37075 Phone: 615-826-4040 Mobile: 615-972-4239 <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Shane Ford Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2016 7:12 AM To: GatorNews Subject: [gatornews] [SUN]: UF women's tennis team anonymous no more UF women's tennis team anonymous no more <http://g52-gxweb.newscyclecloud.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GS&Date=20160420&Category=COLUMNISTS&ArtNo=160429983&Ref=AR&imageVersion=Main&MaxW=445&border=0> UF coach Roland Thornqvist has his women's tennis team among the nation's best again this season. UAA Communications photo by Jim Burgess By <http://www.gatorsports.com/personalia/patdooley> Pat Dooley Gainesville Sun sports columnist Published: Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 2:19 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 2:19 p.m. This is the University of Florida, where you can't swing a dead opossum around a room without hitting a No. 1 team. Banners, trophies, a ring of honor, statues of legends, they are all testament in less than a square mile to the excess of success of Gator sports. Meanwhile, over in his little corner of the world, Roland Thornqvist smiles when asked about the relative anonymity of one of the best teams on campus. “Beautiful, isn't it?” he asks. “I think (former women's tennis coach) Andy Brandi was onto something. When they built this complex, he had first choice of offices and he took the one at the end as far away as possible. “We do our own thing here. We take care of business. Our players are like that, too.” All the Florida women have done so far this year is sweep through the SEC regular season without a loss heading into the SEC Tournament in Baton Rouge, La. How impressive is it? The league has nine teams in the top 25 of the latest rankings. That means eight teams are looking up at third-ranked Florida, a team that hasn't lost since dropping two matches in late February during a West Coast swing. It gets better. In sweeping all 13 matches in conference play, Florida lost all of five individual singles matches. Five. The mighty Gators were perfect in the best women's tennis conference in America, winning those matches by a combined score of 63-7. Maybe you noticed. Maybe you are one of the couple of hundred people who show up for home matches. Maybe you weren't so obsessed with spring football, the Masters, the Final Four, the upcoming NFL draft or any of Florida's other ultra-successful teams that you have been paying attention to a remarkable feat. Maybe not. It bears repeating. Florida went 13-0 in SEC play against teams that make up the best conference according to the rankings. No other conference has more than five schools in the Top 25. “If we keep winning,” Thornqvist said, “I'm sure someone will notice.” I'm as guilty as anyone. Heck, it wasn't until I visited Thornqvist that I found out women's tennis went to no-add scoring this year to make the matches go more quickly for fans and television. Just dummy, to quote a former Florida football coach (who turned 71 on Wednesday). It was the 11th SEC title for Thornqvist and with the NCAA Tournament right around the corner, you might expect the Gators (18-2) to put things on cruise control when they open play in the SEC Tournament on Friday. Not so fast. “It's a great barometer for us,” Thornqvist said. “We get to play, hopefully, on back-to-back days and maybe back-to-back-to-back days (if they reach the final). “It's a great test for us, a test of our fitness and our mental stamina. We'll see where we are, are we good playing three-setters on the second day.” The core of this team is the recruiting class that brought Brooke Austin, Anna Danilina and Josie Kuhlman to Gainesville two years ago. Those three have combined to go 40-6 in singles this spring. “We knew we had a special class,” Thornqvist said, “if we didn't mess them up. We were really talented last year (when the three ladies were freshman), but we were volatile in our play. It was sort of like a box of chocolates. “Last year we couldn't rely every day, even on the super good players. They probably overachieved (in winning the SEC last year). That's the biggest difference from last year to this year. The conference is so tough that every week they can jump up and get you if you're sleeping.” Last year, Florida lost three times to Vanderbilt, which went on to win the national title. “That's never happened in my career,” Thornqvist said. This year, Florida beat the Commodores 4-2. And the Gators will be one of the teams with a realistic shot of winning it all in the NCAA Tournament. First, of course, is this weekend's SEC Tournament. “This is Phase Two,” Thornqvist said. If you missed Phase One, you might want to pay attention. Contact Pat Dooley at <tel:352-374-5053> 352-374-5053 or at <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]. And follow at Twitter.com/Pat_Dooley. Sent From Shane's iPhone Go Gators! & Skål Vikes! 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