Now that the regular season has ended and the tournament has started, it is time that we sit back and appreciate the historic season that the FSU women’s tennis team served to us this year. Last year, the girls ended their season with a disappointing loss in the Elite 8. This year, the girls have a shot to claim their first national championship in program history. The Lady Seminoles just wrapped up their season with a No. 11 ranking by Oracle/ITA Team, and walked into the ACC tournament play as a No. 3 seed.
In last year’s journey to the tourney, the Lady Seminoles served the heat. The girls caused quite the racquet when they upset that school in Gainesville and then went on to win their Sweet 16 matchup against Tulsa; however, the girls were stopped in their tracks and eliminated by the No. 1 Vanderbilt Commodores in the Elite 8. Impressively, the Seminoles finished the 2018 season with a 21-9 record including wins over seven ranked teams and their first Elite 8 appearance in program history. The 21 wins were tied for the second-most in school history behind only the 1982 team that went 23-17.
In the last few years, this year especially, the FSU women’s tennis team has continued to demolish many records in the history books and build a strong name for the Seminoles in the women’s tennis world. This year the women’s tennis team have brought home their most wins in program history, most ACC wins in program history, received their highest ranking in program history, have three doubles teams with double digits wins this season, have 6 singles players with double digits wins this season and were ranked at #3 seed in the ACC tournament for the first time since 2004. On Apr. 13 in the last match of the season, the amazing regular season careers of four seniors were showcased in Tallahassee against the Louisville Cardinals. After dominating the Cardinals 7-0, the ladies are now preparing for the time of the year that matters the most: championship season. Head Coach Jennifer Hyde stated after Senior Day, “All of this will be behind us and the trajectory we need to be on right now is exactly where it needs to be heading into the biggest time of the year.”
The ACC Tournament starts on Apr. 17 and goes through the 21, and after that will begin the hunt for the national title. The Seminoles will start conference tournament play on Apr. 19 against the winner of the Wake Forest vs Boston College matchup. One thing is true: if you step into their court, you will get served. It is only appropriate that the success of these women should come the same year that it is FSU’s fiftieth-anniversary celebration of women’s athletics at the university. Last year we saw the softball and the soccer team take home the title, and this year we have the chance to see the tennis team do the say thing. With all the success that is following female athletics here at Florida State, our women’s tennis team is continuing to remind us that the Lady Seminoles know how to win!