The third-ranked Bulldogs women’s tennis team sets out on a one-match weekend trip to Knoxville, Tenn. to face No. 23 Tennessee at Barksdale Stadium.
Georgia (13-3, 7-1 SEC) defeated the Southeastern Conference’s Mississippi affiliates last weekend at home including a shutout over Mississippi State, Georgia’s seventh of the season. The fifth- and sixth-straight conference wins has the Bulldogs nestled at the top of the SEC standings with No. 1 Florida and fifth-ranked Vanderbilt closely behind at 6-1.
Eighth-ranked Elena Christofi, No. 57 Kennedy Shaffer and No. 102 Mariana Gould all won both their singles matches against the Rebels and the visiting Bulldogs on courts two, three and six, respectively. Each player in the trio leads the conference in wins on her corresponding court.
“That is important, you probably know that you are towards the top of the conference if you have three of your players leading in wins on three different courts,” Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace said. “That is something that we like to see on as many courts as possible, and hopefully we aren’t far behind on the other courts. Those three have done really well and have won a lot of big matches for us. It is exciting for them and for the other players because everyone is playing well. It is about the team and everybody stepping up at different times and to do that, you have to be there every time. We’ve big ones [matches] in front of us, and that’s what we are working for.”
The Volunteers (15-7, 2-6 SEC) are coming off of one of their best wins of the season, a 4-3 win in the third set against Ole Miss on Sunday. Playing No. 1 singles for the Vols is senior Brittany Lindl, ranked 58th, who has a 10-5 dual record but is 3-3 in conference play. Reigning All-SEC Second Team and Freshman Team recipient Sadie Hammond occupies the No. 3 singles court as well as Tennessee’s most formidable doubles team with redshirt freshman Gabby Schuck. The duo has a 17-9 overall record (14-4 duals) and a 4-3 showing in conference on court two. However, on Saturday, they will make their debut on the first court as UT is trialing two new combinations on the subsequent courts.
The Bulldogs have earned the doubles point in seven-straight matches, while the 28th-ranked tandem of Christofi/Shaffer clinched the last six. The six wins check in as the most in conference play among the conference on any court.