The No. 15 Crimson Tide women’s tennis team faces what could be the most grueling part of their schedule this weekend. They will face the South Carolina Gamecocks and No. 2 Florida Gators on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
Head coach Jenny Mainz said the Gamecocks present a challenge for her team. “They fight hard,” Mainz said. “We always have good matches against South Carolina. I remember looking at them last year during the match and thinking, ‘This team is relentless. Like, they won’t go away.’ That’s their biggest strength: They fight hard.”
Mainz also said they have talent throughout their lineup and her team can’t look past them in preparation for the Gators. Sophomore Mary Anne Macfarlane echoed her coach’s thoughts.
“You can’t overlook any opponent,” Macfarlane said. “Everyone is ready to play everyone, especially in the SEC. You just have to keep that in mind and take it one match at a time, one point at a time. They are such good fighters. Everyone on their team is a really good competitor.”
After the Tide plays the Gamecocks, it will next face the team that they have had circled on their calendars all year: the Florida Gators. Both teams will enter the matchup undefeated in Southeastern Conference play.
“Something that I really respect about them so much is that they’re so disciplined,” Mainz said. “They’re not just raw talent. They don’t give you any free points. You can’t take a single point off against those guys.”
With having such a disciplined and talented team coming to Tuscaloosa this weekend, Mainz said she can’t rely on just a few players to get the team through the match.
“Against a team like [Florida], everybody’s got to show up,” Mainz said. “One of the keys to this match will be the doubles point. We need that.”
Still, Mainz said her players are well aware of how good the Gators are, and they are confident in their ability to have a good showing. Mainz also said that the Gators are beatable.
“As long as we’re taking care of the things on our end on not just every point but every ball, then we will be fine,” Mainz said. “We need to let them know that we are here to play.”
