The South Carolina women’s tennis team started its season strong in Albuquerque last weekend going on an impressive 4-0 run.
The 21st ranked Gamecocks have their highest ITA ranking since 2011 and hope their strong play will continue this weekend as they face a brutal two match stretch.
The team will face the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville on Friday before returning to the Palmetto State for a Sunday afternoon match at No. 13 Clemson.
The Cavaliers are coming off a 6-1 loss to the No. 6 Baylor Bears that looks much worse than it was. With two players sick with the flu, Virginia was forced to forfeit their No. 3 slot in doubles and their No. 5 and 6 spot in singles, respectively.
Still, the Cavaliers are confident and eager to play in front of a home crowd for the first time this year.
The Gamecocks are also brimming with confidence.
After allowing just four points in four matches, the Gamecocks are ready for their first real test of the season.
Wins this weekend would thrust the team into the national spotlight along with an inevitable jump in the rankings.
Senior Elixane Lechemia has been lights out thus far, going 4-0 in singles so far from the first slot. She’ll have her work cut out for her Friday though as she will in all likelihood go up against Virginia’s Julia Elbaba, the top player in the country. Elbaba went 12-2 in the fall, including a 9-1 record against ranked opponents. She closed out the fall season with a win at the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships. She missed the opener with the flu.
In addition to Elbaba, the Cavaliers have two others ranked in the top 50: juniors Stephanie Nauta and Danielle Collins. Elbaba and Nauta are also the No. 22 doubles team.
With so many strong players at the top of the rotation for the Cavaliers, much of the pressure will fall on the No. 4, 5 and 6 players for the Gamecocks.
The Gamecocks went a combined 6-3 from those slots last weekend and could use a strong showing Friday.
Clemson boasts the No. 2 doubles team in the nation and two players in the top 100. The Tigers started the season with wins over Winthrop and Purdue by scores of 6-1 and 5-0, respectively.
While the rivalry aspect alone makes this a huge match, both teams are hot. The Sunday afternoon match is the lone match between the rivals this year. It is also the last match the Gamecocks will play against a ranked opponent before beginning SEC play Feb. 27.
If the Gamecocks can get through the weekend with wins, the team will be in prime shape going forward.