The Gators have been slated at No. 40 in the ITA Team Rankings and have a pair in the top-10 for doubles.
GAINESVILLE, Fla.- Florida women’s tennis will start SEC play in the nation’s top-50. Florida’s No. 40 team ranking comes after a highly competitive non-conference season, facing three top-25 opponents.
Upperclassmen Rachel Gailis<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/rachel-gailis/16981> and Alicia Dudeney<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> also stand in the Division I rankings, representing the Gators in the doubles category at No. 6. Dudeney and Gailis made a run in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the final four in late November.
The Gators previously stood at No. 21 in the Feb. 12 Division I rankings, but dropped to No. 40 after posting a 3-2 non-conference record. UF was challenged by three top-25 teams; No. 23 Florida International, No. 22 LSU, and No. 7 Michigan during their non-conference slate. The Gators posted a 4-2 win over No. 25 FIU, but fell to fellow SEC school, LSU 4-1. Florida’s tallest task was at No. 7 Michigan, playing the top-10 Wolverines on the road and indoors. Michigan is known for being a great indoor team and blanked Florida at 7-0.
Florida’s last time out was a road matchup against Georgia Southern, recording a 6-1 victory in Statesboro, Ga. UF won all courts put out, taking two doubles matches and the top five singles courts. Georgia Southern’s only point of the day was a walkover win in singles.
Head coach Per Nilsson<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/coaches/per-nilsson/2018> and the Florida Gators look to have a competitive spring in the Southeastern Conference and will travel to No. 4 Auburn for their initial SEC matchup on Sunday, Feb. 23.
The ITA Rankings Algorithm is based on an accumulation of win points and loss points, accounting for a win-loss record, the strength of schedule, and the depth/significance of wins and losses. As the season progresses, the value of each win and loss adjusts to reflect the most recent ranking of the opponent. For the full list of national rankings and more information on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association click here.<https://wearecollegetennis.com/ita-rankings/rankings-explained/>
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