Belinda Woolcock Falls in NCAA Singles Finals

Monday, May 29

Athens, GA

11 a.m.

Florida Gators

NCAA Singles Championships (Finals)

Woolcock became the first Gator to reach the NCAA Singles Final since 2002.

Belinda Woolcock Falls in NCAA Singles Finals

Monday, May 29, 2017 | Women's Tennis

FINAL Singles Draw FINAL Doubles Draw

Monday’s Finals match was Woolcock’s 11th consecutive day playing a singles match

By: Kathy Cafazzo

ATHENS, Ga. – In the end, it was the wear and tear of playing a combined 14 singles and doubles matches over an 11-day span that finally caught up with Gator senior Belinda Woolcock, who dropped a 6-3, 6-3 decision to Michigan's Brienne Minor in the NCAA Singles Championships Finals played at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex Monday afternoon.

Monday's Finals match was Woolcock's 11th consecutive day playing a singles match, overcoming rain delays, playing indoors and outside in the Georgia summer heat … and the overwhelming emotion of winning the NCAA Team Championships on Tuesday, May 23.

Woolcock posted an astounding 11-1 record in those singles and doubles matches, with one singles and one doubles match unfinished because Florida had clinched the deciding point in the team event.

Against Minor, Woolcock admitted she had 'nothing left in the tank' and it showed early as she quickly fell behind 4-0 to start the match. She finally got on the board with a break, but couldn't hold.

Woolcock did win the next two games an inched closer at 5-3, but dropped her serve to end the first frame.

Minor held to begin the second set and jumped out to leads of 3-1 and 4-2. Woolcock held at love for 3-4, but Minor won the final two games to secure the first women's tennis title in Michigan history.

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Postmatch quotes – Belinda Woolcock
On today's match...
"Today was a challenge for me. Physically, it was a long tournament. After the team event, I was just so happy and proud of my team that we were able to clinch the championship. For me personally, I was just going to come out to (the NCAA Singles Championships) and do my best. I really shocked myself. I didn't expect a lot because I put so much effort and energy into the team event. I'm just so proud of myself that I got this far into the tournament.

"I know today I may have run out of steam. There was nothing left in the tank. My mind was fresh and I did everything that I could today.

"I'm just so proud that I was able to represent the Gators. That was my goal for this tournament – I just wanted to continue to represent the Gators and wear Florida Gators across my chest because I'm a senior and I've graduated and it's been an emotion tournament for me. But now, it's come to an end and I'm extremely proud of myself."

On being a senior in her last NCAA experience...
"It is a bit emotional, you know being a senior and heading back home to Australia. I am so happy to end on such a high note. I know I didn't win today, but the team stuff, deep down, is the most important to me. For me personally, I don't get a wild card into the U.S. Open because I am a foreigner. This was just an opportunity to represent the Gators and to wear the Florida Gators across my chest one more time. I am just really proud of myself and of my team for the whole event."

Watch Woolcock's entire postmatch interview

Postmatch quotes – Florida Head Coach Roland Thornqvist
On Woolcock's match…
"I saw a lot of fight. The legs were not there, obviously. Bri (Brienne Minor) made her run a lot. It was a tough match for her but she showed a lot of fight. She has for four years – she's gotten incrementally better every year. She's been a dream student-athlete. You get them, work them and they get better and better and finally their senior year they get paid. That's what happened to Belinda and I'm really proud of her."

Watch Coach Thornqvist's entire postmatch interview and season recap

Woolcock's Run at the 2017 NCAA Singles Championships

First round: def. #51 Andrea Lazaro (FIU), 6-3, 6-2
Second round def. #28 Melissa Lord (Stanford), 6-3, 6-4
Round of 16: def. #46 Joana Valle Costa (LSU), 6-3, 6-1
Quarterfinals: def. #44 Anna Danilina (Florida), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Semifinals: def. #40 Estela Perez-Somarriba (Miami), 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
Finals: lost to #24 Brienne Minor (Michigan), 6-3, 6-3

Belinda Woolcock at a Glance

She became the first Gator to reach the NCAA Singles Final since 2002.
Woolcock was the No 6 seed at the NCAA Singles Championships
Woolcock won eight singles matches (three in the team tournament) and all three doubles matches that completed at the NCAA finals site in Athens, posting a 11-1 combined record that included Monday's match.
The Gator senior was named the Most Valuable Player of the NCAA Team Championships and earned a spot on the NCAA Championships All-Tournament Team for singles and doubles.
Woolcock ends her four-year Gator career with a 113-39 overall record, including a 29-11 singles record this year.
Woolcock was first Gator to reach the NCAA Singles Semifinals since 2015 when Josie Kuhlman reached the 'final four' of the individual national event.
This was the third consecutive year Woolcock has earned a berth in the singles tournament. Last year she reached the round of 16 – then a career-best.

Gators in the NCAA Singles Championships

The last time a Gator reached the finals was back in 2002, when Jessica Lehnhoff faced Wake Forest's Bea Bielik and dropped a 6-2, 6-0 decision.
2015 was the last time a Gator reached the Semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championships (Josie Kuhlman)
UF Individual Singles Record in NCAA Finals: 4-6
Gators are 10-6 all-time in the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championships
Jill Craybas was the last Gator to win the NCAA Singles Championships, doing so in 1996.