No. 20 Women's Tennis Set for Sunday Tilt at South FloridaNo. 20 Women's Tennis Set for Sunday Tilt at South Florida
Edward Finan / UCF Athletics

No. 20 Women's Tennis Set for Sunday Tilt at South Florida

by Nicolas Hernandez
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ORLANDO - The No. 20 UCF women's tennis team gears up for the War on I-4 this weekend as they head to Tampa to take on rivals South Florida.

The unbeaten Knights (4-0) will arrive at the USF Varsity Tennis Complex on Sunday ready to fight for their fifth straight win of the season at noon Fresh off of a commanding win in last weekend's space game against FIU, morale won’t be an issue for the Black in Gold as they travel to just their second away game of the season.

LAST TIME OUT

The Knights proved to have some tough armor against FIU, only allowing the Panthers to score one point at the USTA National Campus. A pair of 6-1 victories on courts one and two in doubles earned UCF the early advantage. Each win was a first for the duos in play, Olivia Lincer and Aya El Aouni, and Sophia Biolay and Olivia Bergler.

After a rain delay interrupted a dominant start to singles play, the Knights picked up right where they left off with straight-set wins on courts two and three. It was Jade Psonka who eventually put the contest to bed, 4-1, with her win against FIU’s Anja Draskovic, 7-6 (7-1), 6-0.

QUICK HITS

  • El Aouni joined Biolay in the ITA rankings this week, sitting at No. 87 and 102, respectively. The freshman sensation still hasn’t lost a set this season in singles play, boasting an undefeated 4-0 record.
  • Olivia Lincer and Hannah Rylatt remain among the nation's best doubles pairings, claiming the No. 88 spot in the latest ITA rankings.
  • Jade Psonka’s clincher against FIU was her second of the season for UCF. The freshman has recorded two 6-0 shutout sets on her way to a perfect start to play this season singles, 4-0.

THE OPPONENT

The Bulls (1-5) head into a doubleheader this weekend after collecting their first win of the season on Sunday, sweeping FAMU in a 7-0 shutout. Prior to the victory, they had only managed to get points on the board in two out of four matches.

Their only doubles point of the season came against Stetson after victories on courts one and three. They will face off against Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers on Friday before their showdown against the Knights on Sunday.