The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Set For SEC Tournament
4/15/2014 | Women's Tennis
April 15, 2014
Twitter: @OleMissWTennis | @MarkBeyers | Hashtag: #SECWT14
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OXFORD, MISS. -- Following a 4-0 shutout of the Missouri Tigers, the Ole Miss Women's Tennis team remained in Columbia, Mo., this week, as the SEC Tournament gets underway beginning Wednesday at the Greene Tennis Center. The ninth-seeded Rebels will take on eighth-seeded South Carolina Thursday at 2 p.m., in second round action.
The Rebels head into this year's SEC Tournament ranked No. 33 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings. At 13-8 overall, the Rebels are looking to get revenge for a regular season loss to the Gamecocks as well as gain some momentum for the NCAA Championships.
Ole Miss faces the exact scenario it did a year ago. The Rebels lost to South Carolina during the regular season last year and then defeated the Gamecocks two weeks later in the second round of the SEC Tournament, 4-3.
The two teams met here in Oxford on April 4, and the Gamecocks won the doubles point on their way to a 4-2 victory.
"Obviously we did not play well the last time we played them at our place, so we hope to play a lot better match against them this time around," head coach Mark Beyers said. "Since that match, we have played really well, and we are looking forward to the rematch."
The Rebels are led by junior Julia Jones, who comes in with an 11-4 record at No. 3 singles. She has 25 wins on the year and has not dropped a set in any of those wins. Junior Erin Stephens boasts a nine-match winning streak, while Mai El Kamash is 13-4 at No. 4 singles.
The Gamecocks (15-9) enter the contest on a one-match losing streak after dropping a match to Vanderbilt, 4-2 last week at home.
The winner of Thursday's match will face the No. 1 seed and SEC Champion, Alabama, who heads into the tournament ranked No. 3 in the nation.
