Thursday, March 19
Athens, Ga.
5:00 PM
Florida Gators
at
Georgia
Brooke Black with the forehand return against No. 11 Tennessee
No. 17 Gators make their way to No. 1 Georgia, No. 24 South Carolina
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 | Women's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. — The Florida women's tennis team (10-3, 5-2) heads back on the road this week for a pair of matches against nationally-ranked competition beginning with a Thursday, March 19 trip to No. 1 Georgia (10-3, 5-2) at 5 p.m. EDT, and concluding with a Saturday, March 21 visit to No. 24 South Carolina (9-6, 2-5) at 1 p.m. The last time the Gators beat the number one team in the nation was on May 17, 2014 against those same Georgia Bulldogs. They are 0-4 against top-ranked teams since then, but 10-11 all-time against the absolute best of the best.
Florida has won three straight matches including a 4-2 victory over No. 11 Tennessee last Saturday, which helped the Gators move up to No. 17 in the national rankings. They are also tied for fourth place in the SEC standings as we approach the midway point of the conference season. Auburn (7-0) is the lone undefeated team in SEC play, while Texas A&M and Texas are both 6-1.
India Houghton took over at number one singles for the Gators in early March, and thanks in part to a straight-set win over 12th-ranked Emily Welker of Ole Miss on March 7, she moved up 43 places in the national rankings this week to No. 60.
The entirety of Florida's most recent singles lineup is now ranked nationally by the ITA — Gabia Paskauskas (#39), Houghton (#60), Nikola Daubnerova (#69), Valery Gynina (#78), Lucie Pawlak (#105), and Brooke Black (#123). It is the first national ranking for Black, a freshman from London, England who joined the team this spring. She has won seven straight matches, and is a perfect 5-0 in conference singles play this year at number four.
On the doubles side of the ledger, the Gators top tandem of Daubnerova and Xinyi Nong are ranked 34th in the nation.
Coming off of its 2025 NCAA Championship run, Georgia was picked to win the league this season in a preseason poll of SEC coaches. The Bulldogs won their second straight ITA indoor title in February, but have split their last four matches in the outdoor season, falling 4-2 at Vanderbilt on March 6, and 4-1 at Texas on March 14.
Five players on the Georgia roster are ranked nationally — Aysegul Mert (No. 6), Anastasiia Lopata (No. 28), Anastasiia Gureva (No. 42), Deniz Dilek (No. 68), and Sofia Rojas (No. 97).
Mert and Lopata have both played at number one and two singles for Georgia this season with Lopata boasting the better record in dual meets (5-4 vs. 2-5). Dilek and Gureva have likewise split time at number three and four singles with Gureva posting a 2-0 record at number three compared to Dilek's 3-4. The Bulldogs greatest strength this year has come in their depth as they are 10-2 at number six singles, 8-3 at number five, and 9-2 at number four. Dong (6-0) and Gureva (5-0) are both undefeated in conference play this year.
Dilek and Mert are the seventh-ranked doubles duo in the country, and they have a 7-4 record together in the top spot. Lopata and Patricija Paukstyte have played primarily at number two (7-3) and Dong and Gureva have teamed up most at number three (7-3).
South Carolina split its first four conference matches of the season, but has dropped three straight to No. 35 Vanderbilt (4-1), No. 9 Texas (4-2) and No. 5 Texas A&M (4-0), all on the road.
Kaitlyn Carnicella is the 56th-ranked player in the nation, and has held down the number one singles slot for the Gamecocks this season, where she is 6-5 overall, and 2-4 in conference. Helena Buchwald is ranked 52nd in the country, and boasts and 8-4 mark at number two singles, including a 3-2 record in the SEC.
Buchwald and Lauren Friedman are a combined 10-3 at number one and two doubles for South Carolina, and ranked ninth in the nation. They are 4-2 in league play, while the rest of the Gamecocks' doubles combinations are 3-10 in the SEC.
HISTORY
The Gators are 49-24 against Georgia, but have lost each of the last nine meetings between the teams including a 4-0 loss on March 2 of last season. Florida is 49-6 vs. South Carolina, and the Gamecocks picked up a 4-0 win over the Gators last season on February 28, 2025.
LAST TIME OUT
Florida bested No. 11 Tennessee 4-2 on Saturday, March 14 to win the team's third straight match. Lucie Pawlak clinched the victory in unusual fashion as her opponent was assessed a game penalty on the deciding point of the third set tiebreaker.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Gators return home for a pair of matches next week against No. 39 Alabama on Thursday, March 26 at 5 p.m. EDT, and Saturday, March 28 vs. No. 49 Mississippi State at 1 p.m.
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Florida has won three straight matches including a 4-2 victory over No. 11 Tennessee last Saturday, which helped the Gators move up to No. 17 in the national rankings. They are also tied for fourth place in the SEC standings as we approach the midway point of the conference season. Auburn (7-0) is the lone undefeated team in SEC play, while Texas A&M and Texas are both 6-1.
India Houghton took over at number one singles for the Gators in early March, and thanks in part to a straight-set win over 12th-ranked Emily Welker of Ole Miss on March 7, she moved up 43 places in the national rankings this week to No. 60.
The entirety of Florida's most recent singles lineup is now ranked nationally by the ITA — Gabia Paskauskas (#39), Houghton (#60), Nikola Daubnerova (#69), Valery Gynina (#78), Lucie Pawlak (#105), and Brooke Black (#123). It is the first national ranking for Black, a freshman from London, England who joined the team this spring. She has won seven straight matches, and is a perfect 5-0 in conference singles play this year at number four.
On the doubles side of the ledger, the Gators top tandem of Daubnerova and Xinyi Nong are ranked 34th in the nation.
Coming off of its 2025 NCAA Championship run, Georgia was picked to win the league this season in a preseason poll of SEC coaches. The Bulldogs won their second straight ITA indoor title in February, but have split their last four matches in the outdoor season, falling 4-2 at Vanderbilt on March 6, and 4-1 at Texas on March 14.
Five players on the Georgia roster are ranked nationally — Aysegul Mert (No. 6), Anastasiia Lopata (No. 28), Anastasiia Gureva (No. 42), Deniz Dilek (No. 68), and Sofia Rojas (No. 97).
Mert and Lopata have both played at number one and two singles for Georgia this season with Lopata boasting the better record in dual meets (5-4 vs. 2-5). Dilek and Gureva have likewise split time at number three and four singles with Gureva posting a 2-0 record at number three compared to Dilek's 3-4. The Bulldogs greatest strength this year has come in their depth as they are 10-2 at number six singles, 8-3 at number five, and 9-2 at number four. Dong (6-0) and Gureva (5-0) are both undefeated in conference play this year.
Dilek and Mert are the seventh-ranked doubles duo in the country, and they have a 7-4 record together in the top spot. Lopata and Patricija Paukstyte have played primarily at number two (7-3) and Dong and Gureva have teamed up most at number three (7-3).
South Carolina split its first four conference matches of the season, but has dropped three straight to No. 35 Vanderbilt (4-1), No. 9 Texas (4-2) and No. 5 Texas A&M (4-0), all on the road.
Kaitlyn Carnicella is the 56th-ranked player in the nation, and has held down the number one singles slot for the Gamecocks this season, where she is 6-5 overall, and 2-4 in conference. Helena Buchwald is ranked 52nd in the country, and boasts and 8-4 mark at number two singles, including a 3-2 record in the SEC.
Buchwald and Lauren Friedman are a combined 10-3 at number one and two doubles for South Carolina, and ranked ninth in the nation. They are 4-2 in league play, while the rest of the Gamecocks' doubles combinations are 3-10 in the SEC.
HISTORY
The Gators are 49-24 against Georgia, but have lost each of the last nine meetings between the teams including a 4-0 loss on March 2 of last season. Florida is 49-6 vs. South Carolina, and the Gamecocks picked up a 4-0 win over the Gators last season on February 28, 2025.
LAST TIME OUT
Florida bested No. 11 Tennessee 4-2 on Saturday, March 14 to win the team's third straight match. Lucie Pawlak clinched the victory in unusual fashion as her opponent was assessed a game penalty on the deciding point of the third set tiebreaker.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Gators return home for a pair of matches next week against No. 39 Alabama on Thursday, March 26 at 5 p.m. EDT, and Saturday, March 28 vs. No. 49 Mississippi State at 1 p.m.
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