The Elon University women’s tennis team lost its matches against the University of Florida Gators and the Georgia State University Panthers during the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kickoff on Saturday, Jan. 24 through Sunday, Jan. 25 in Gainesville, Florida.
The Phoenix played its first match against the second-nationally ranked team in the country in the Florida Gators. Playing in the number four seed, Elon never stood a chance against the mighty Gators as the host team easily brushed by the Phoenix winning 4-0. The only time Elon managed to win more than one game in a match was in the No. 1 doubles where junior Taylor Casey and freshman Olivia Lucas fell to the seventeenth-best duo in the country, UF freshmen Josie Kuhlman and Peggy Porter 6-2.
Singles play for the Phoenix highlighted a particular low on the day with Olivia Lucas (6-0, 6-1), senior Maria Camara Ruiz (6-1, 6-1) and Taylor Casey (6-0, 6-1) all losing their respective matches.
Three singles matches that included senior Barbora Lazarova, freshman Erica Braschi and freshman Kamilla Beisenova all went unfinished.
Sunday’s matches against Georgia State did not go much better as Elon was swept against the Panthers as well, 4-0. The Phoenix won a few more games than it did against Florida but was still mostly dominated by Georgia State throughout the day.
In the No. 1 singles match, freshman Kirsten Ward fell to Niri Rasolomalala 6-3, 6-3. This would be the most points a Phoenix player would put up as Elon would go on to not top more than two game victories in singles matches against the Panthers for the rest of the day.
In doubles play, the Elon tandem of Maria Camara Ruiz and Barbora Lazarova lost to the 40th ranked duo in the nation, sophomore Tarani Kamoe and junior Linn Timmermann by a score of 6-4. The Phoenix was overpowered in its No. 2 doubles match as well against Niri Rasolomalala and freshman Kristin Rehse by a final total of 6-3.
The loss moves Elon to 1-3 to start the spring season. The Phoenix will return to the court on Feb. 7 against Wake Forest University at Winston Salem. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m.