With three singles matches still in play, Alabama found itself with a 3-2 advantage over No. 23 Florida heading into the third sets. The Crimson Tide was down on courts No. 2 and No. 5, which left junior Alba Cortina Pou on court No. 3 to be the player to clinch the match. Up 4-0 in the third set, it seemed that she would coast to victory, but that was not the case.

Her opponent, Marlee Zein, proceeded to win the following three games to put the pressure on Cortina Pou. The next game, with Zein serving, was back and forth and culminated at the deuce point. If Cortina Pou won the point, she would take the lead 5-3 with a serve next game, but with a loss, Zein would put the match back on serve.

Despite the adversity, Cortina Pou won the deuce point and then closed out the match with a dominant game to win the third set 6-3. It was the second time in program history for Alabama to beat Florida.

“It was such a relief because I was so nervous,” Cortina Pou said. “I wanted to get the win for the team so bad because we have been working really hard and deserved it.”

But this was not the first time for Cortina Pou to clinch a critical match for Alabama this season. Just two weeks prior to the Florida match, the Blanes, Spain, native lost the first set and was 3-2 in the second set against Auburn when head coach Jenny Mainz told Cortina Pou, “Keep throwing punches and compete your way back into the match.”

Cortina Pou fought back to win the following four games to win the second set and eventually won the third set to win the match for Alabama.

“She is one of the few players that can pull herself out of a bad situation,” Mainz said. “In an instant, she can say, ‘okay, here we go,’ and move on.”

Prior to her career at Alabama, she started her career at Texas Tech University but decided to transfer after her freshman year. When she came into contact with Mainz and the Alabama coaching staff, Cortina Pou was impressed by their philosophy and scheduled a visit to Tuscaloosa, which is when she committed to Alabama.

“I liked their way of working and felt like I was a great fit for the team,” Cortina Pou said. “Here you have everything you need to be successful.”

In her sophomore season, she compiled a 14-3 record in singles play, primarily at the No. 5 and No. 6 position. During the offseason, Mainz noticed Cortina Pou’s significant improvement in all aspects of her game and moved her up in the lineup to the No. 3 spot, where she has excelled with a 15-4 record on the year.

“She is the one player in my 28 years of coaching that I have seen such a considerable jump [in her development],” Mainz said. “And it’s not only from last year to this year, but from three weeks ago to now.”

What has been a struggle for the whole team has also been a struggle for Cortina Pou, and that is the doubles point. The doubles point is crucial in collegiate tennis because it allows the winner to only need three victories in the six singles matches, rather than four of the six for the loser.

After losing five straight doubles in SEC matches, Cortina Pou and her doubles partner, junior Luca Fabian, bounced back with a critical win against Florida, which allowed Alabama to go into singles play with a lead and was the decisive point in the match.

“We are getting better,” Cortina Pou said. “We are really good together, but we need to be more consistent. Last weekend we played good, so we are going to build off of that.”

Even though Cortina Pou has developed into a consistent player for Alabama, Mainz believes this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of her play.

“It’s so encouraging because she is not done,” Mainz said. “She can get a lot better.”