South Carolina’s women’s tennis team is set to host two ranked Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponents this weekend at the Carolina Tennis Center. The Gamecocks, currently ranked No. 17 in the latest ITA Team Top-25 Poll, will face No. 9 LSU on Thursday, February 26 at noon and No. 32 Ole Miss on Saturday, February 28 at 1 p.m.
The Gamecocks have four singles and doubles entries in the latest individual rankings. Kaitlyn Carnciella is ranked 63rd in singles competition. In doubles, Lauren Friedman and Helena Buchwald are ranked 18th, while Friedman and Sara Borkop hold the 73rd spot. The team of Kaitlyn Carnicella and Bella Bergqvist Larsson has moved up to No. 19.
In their most recent match, South Carolina lost to top-ranked Georgia by a score of 4-1 during their SEC opener at home. Jana Stojanova and Sara Borkop secured a win in their doubles match with a score of 6-4, but the Gamecocks dropped the doubles point after losses from the first and second positions. Helena Buchwald provided South Carolina’s only point with a straight-set victory over Georgia’s Aysegul Mert.
LSU enters Thursday’s matchup ranked ninth nationally with a season record of 7-2. The Tigers are coming off a 5-2 loss against Ole Miss as they began their SEC schedule on the road. LSU reached the quarterfinals of the ITA National Indoor Championship before falling to eventual champions Georgia.
The Tigers feature several players in the ITA singles rankings: Kayla Cross (51), Cadence Brace (75), Kina Graham (96), Kenna Erickson (107), Carolina Kuhl (114), and Addison Lanton (115). In doubles, Ella McDonald and Cross are ranked No. 40, McDonald and Erickson are No. 51, while Alexia Marginean and Graham sit at No. 80.
South Carolina leads LSU in their all-time series with a record of 27-9 and holds a strong home advantage at 16-2 when playing against LSU in Columbia.
Ole Miss arrives with a record of 6-1, carrying a five-match winning streak into the weekend after opening conference play with an upset win over LSU. Before facing South Carolina, Ole Miss will play against Georgia on Thursday.
Emily Welker is Ole Miss’s only player in the ITA singles rankings at No. 11; she remains undefeated this dual match season on court one with seven wins. The pair of Welker and Andrea Nova are ranked No. 71 in doubles with an unblemished record so far this season.
In head-to-head history between South Carolina and Ole Miss, the Gamecocks lead with an all-time record of 27-15 and currently have a twelve-match win streak against the Rebels.
Fans can follow live scoring through StatBroadcast or watch live streaming via TrackTennis for both matches. Updates will also be posted on X @GamecockWTennis.
For more information about South Carolina women’s tennis, updates can be found at Gamecocksonline.com or by following @GamecocksWTennis on social media.
