No. 25 Women’s Tennis Set to Open Three-Game Road Swing at Florida State

ORLANDO – After a competitive ITA Kickoff Weekend, the UCF women's tennis team is back at it, facing the Florida State Seminoles at the Scott Speicher Memorial Tennis Center.  

After a sweep against Marshall, this past Sunday, the No. 24 Knights are back on the road, traveling to Tallahassee to face the Seminoles on Friday, Jan. 30, at 4 P.M. EST. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Knights had a long weekend with back-to-back battles at ITA Kickoff Weekend in Baton Rouge, La. The Black and Gold opened competition on Saturday, Jan. 24, facing No. 18 UCLA. The Bruins swiftly took control of the game, securing the doubles point with 6-2, 6-3 wins, and despite the Knights' continued battle in singles play, UCLA ultimately landed on top with a 4-1 victory.

After a night to regroup, the team came back the next day with a strong performance, sweeping Marshall with a 4-0 win to end the weekend off right. The Knights took an early lead as both doubles teams closed out 6-1 victories, putting the group ahead heading into singles play. Strong performances in singles from Jantje Tilbuerger, Vladislava Andreevskaya, and Jade Psonka ultimately sealed the win.

QUICK HITS

• UCF is in its 16th week listed in the ITA poll, currently ranking No. 25 in the Jan. 28 poll. Other Big 12 programs featured with the Knights are Oklahoma State (No. 8) and Texas Tech (No. 22)
• In their most recent matchup against the Seminoles on Jan. 25, 2025, the Knights hosted Florida State and took a dramatic 4-3 victory in a reverse sweep. UCF will look to return to this match with the same power, as they head to Tallahassee for the program's ninth all-time meeting.
• UCF currently stands at 3-11 all-time against the ‘Noles, but all three of the Knights' wins over the prestigious in-state foe have come under head coach Bryan Koniecko’s guidance. 
• The No. 50-ranked duo of Olivia Bergler and Lauren Seye closed ITA Kickoff Weekend with a win over Marshall’s Thalia Smith and Nour El Ouazzani to secure the doubles point for the Knights. The victory marked their first win of the 2026 dual-match season.
• After missing much of last season due to injury, senior captain Jantje Tilbuerger has returned as a staple in the Knights’ lineup. She is currently the only Knight to earn three straight wins on her court in the team’s first three matches.

THE OPPONENT
FSU comes into this match after a strong start to its season with a 6-1 win over South Florida, marking its 17th consecutive season-opening victory. The Seminoles showcased depth across their lineup, earning wins in both doubles and singles. UCF also began its spring defeating South Florida (4-1) with a sweep of singles matches after dropping the doubles point. 

The Seminoles followed their opener with ITA Kickoff Weekend, where they advanced past Nevada (4-3) and fell to No.4 Auburn (0-4) in the final. Under head coach Jeniffer Hyde, FSU has the chance to build consistency and test its depth with standout players like Millie Bissett, Eva Shaw, Laura Putz and Mary Boyce Deatherage.