May 23, 2011
Taube Family Tennis Center - Stanford, Calif.
Monday, May 23 - 4 p.m. - Taube South
Women's Semifinals
NO. 2 FLORIDA 4
NO. 6 UCLA 0
1) No. 2 Cercone/Will (FLA) vs. No. 23 Dolehide/Remynse (UCLA) aban.
2) No. 45 Embree/Oyen (FLA) d. No. 24 Hickey/Jones (UCLA) 8-6
3) No. 37 Hitimana/Mather (FLA) d. Johansson/Montez (UCLA) 8-4
Singles (Order of Finish: 2, 5, 1)
1) No. 7 Allie Will (FLA) d. No. 57 McCall Jones (UCLA) 7-6 (7), 6-2
2) No. 17 Lauren Embree (FLA) d. No. 41 Noelle Hickey (UCLA) 6-2, 6-2
3) No. 91 Sofie Oyen (FLA) vs. No. 76 Andrea Remynse (UCLA) aban.
4) No. 42 Joanna Mather (FLA) vs. No. 97 Pamela Montez (UCLA) aban.
5) No. 54 Alex Cercone (FLA) d. No. 77 Courtney Dolehide (UCLA) 7-5, 6-3
6) Olivia Janowicz (FLA) vs. Maya Johansson (UCLA) aban.
Florida Coach Roland Thornqvist
"I thought we played in singles our best match of the week here so far today. The first tournament doubles looked pretty ominous actually, we didn't move, we played on our heels. UCLA completely took it to us the first 20 minutes but once we got going I started feeling a little bit better about the dubs and then obviously we've done a good job at the end of sets the whole week and at the end of doubles was no different. I thought we executed very well."
"In singles we got off to good starts finally and won some first sets and that makes a difference, it frees you up as a player. We're not supposed to look up at the scoreboard but I guess it's human nature to do, and I think it's easier for all our players to look up and see that we've actually for once won some first sets and I'm just really proud of them. I told them, all of them, that I'm proud of all of them, the effort and the play of all of them today. If you look at one thing it's Joanna Mather down in a set 5-0 and it's the Florida Gator way to never give up and 20 here you are 20 minutes later and I look up to the scoreboard and its five all. She didn't finish, Sofie didn't finish, Olivia didn't finish, but their effort and their might helped everyone else finish and obviously one and two were pretty good and we've relied on these two superstars all year long and today was certainly no different."
Florida sophomore Allie Will
"In singles today I thought I played really well. The girl I played I hadn't played in a really long time and I thought she played very well in the first set and made me earn every single point and I just had to battle and kind of grind today and I thought that my coach helped me a lot, got me to be more aggressive and just relax, and I used my forehand really well and I just fought really hard and was really glad I got the first set and then I relaxed a little bit and really went for it in the second set and I'm just glad I came out on top today."
Florida sophomore Lauren Embree
"We got off to a really slow start (in doubles) and we were both pretty nervous and at 3-0 down we just kind of relaxed a little bit and Sofie (Oyen) played amazing, I don't think she missed a ball at the baseline and her volleys were amazing so it helped me out a lot and it helped me relax so once we got back into the match we felt a lot better, we just knew we had to hold serve and we'd come out with it."
UCLA Head Coach Stella Sampras Webster
On the match...
"We knew Florida was going to be a tough team for us to play. Our doubles point was going to be a big deal. When we didn't win it, I think it was hard for our players to get back into it."
On not winning the doubles point...
"Little disappointed about how our doubles didn't make adjustments. That is how we lost a close No. 2 doubles. Going into the singles, you need every point you can get against a team like Florida, so that was disappointing. Our players fought hard. Florida was just too tough for us."
On the team's growth this season...
"We have grown a lot as a team. We started out the season not doing very well at the team indoors. We had players we didn't know could last the entire season physically."
On the team...
"My three seniors that played for me this year were just incredible. Our goal was to just make it to the final four and anything could happen there. You cant take it for granted. We appreciate that. We would have loved to had played for a National Championship here. But we came across Florida, who played tougher tennis than we did."