South Carolina Tennis: Gamecocks advance to Elite Eight for first time since 1989
By Kevin Miller
The South Carolina tennis team is having one of its best seasons ever. The Gamecocks swept the rival Clemson Tigers this season and beat multiple other top programs on their way to their first national semifinal since 1989. An earlier-than-anticipated loss in the SEC Tournament had Carolina fans worried a bit, but the 8th-ranked Gamecocks responded by playing some great tennis in the NCAA Tournament.
The strong postseason run began with a quick sweep of the South Carolina State Bulldogs. After that, the Gamecocks secured a 4-1 victory over a ranked Florida State Seminole program, and they followed it up with a 4-2 win against the top-10 Tennessee Volunteers to advance to the Elite Eight.
The Gamecocks will take on the Texas Longhorns in the Elite Eight on Thursday with a spot in the Final Four and the National Championship on the line. If Carolina can beat the Longhorns, they could play the SEC champion Kentucky Wildcats (Kentucky is facing the Virginia Cavaliers in the Elite Eight). Carolina beat Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky earlier this season.
Past that point, two other previous Gamecock opponents could be waiting on Josh Goffi’s squad. Both the Ohio State Buckeyes and Georgia Bulldogs have also made the Elite Eight. Carolina dispatched the Buckeyes when Ohio State was ranked #2 in the nation. Georgia beat South Carolina in SEC play, and the Gamecocks would love to get revenge on their border rival. Georgia and Ohio State play in the Elite Eight.
The eight teams in the National Quarterfinals are South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, and TCU. The four quarterfinal matchups will be South Carolina vs. Texas, Virginia vs. Kentucky, Ohio State vs. Georgia, and Michigan vs. TCU. The winner of Carolina and Texas will take on the winner of Virginia and Kentucky in the Final Four, and the winner of Ohio State and Georgia will play the winner of Michigan and TCU.