Women focused on potential upset against Clemson
Because of that, the team's match against the Clemson Tigers this weekend does not carry any extra significance.
"These girls are mostly foreign players," coach Arlo Elkins said. "They don't know the in-state rivalries like the in-state players do. They want to win every match. They're not worried about Clemson or Georgia or Tennessee. They want to win every match. So as far as the rivalry goes — I'm not sure the rivalry means as much to them as just a plain victory."
The contest with Clemson is important to the team for a different reason. The Tigers are currently No. 12 in the nation, and an upset could mean a rise in the rankings for the No. 25 Gamecocks.
Carolina will head to the coast riding the momentum from a 6-1 victory over the Winthrop Eagles on Thursday, bringing its win streak to four. USC won all three doubles matches en route to a win that was not as easy as the score indicates.
"We had to work hard," Elkins said. "They're a good little team, and we knew they were going to be good, and we're glad to have the victory."
The match marked sophomore Josefin Andersson's first opportunity to play singles this year, as she has been recovering from an injury sustained last spring. She rose to the occasion with a quick 6-4, 6-1 win over the Eagles' Julia Breuss. She also teamed with Madeleine Saari-Bystrom for a dominating 8-2 victory in No. 2 doubles.
"I think she's feeling good," Elkins said. "I don't think she played like she wanted to or like she feels she can. That's why we're playing her out here every match. She's going to be vital to this team. It's important that she gets as much match-playing as she can."
USC's team in No. 1 doubles, Dominika Kanakova and Dijana Stojic, also breezed to a victory by a final score of 8-3. The pair is ranked No. 38 in the nation and improves its record on the year to 7-2.
Clemson's most recent match was a tough loss to No. 8 Michigan. But the Tigers' record on the year is 9-3, and they boast the No. 14 and No. 37 singles players in the country. Still, the Gamecocks hope to use the win streak to their advantage.
"Any win you have gives you some momentum," Elkins said. "Clemson's a really good team. We're going to have to play well, and that's what we plan on doing. We're not going up there and hoping to play a bad match. We're planning to play as [well] as we can, and that's what we have to do to give them a match."