College Tennis News - Lauren Embree was named the 2011 and 2012 NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player

Senior women’s tennis standout Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) took some time to talk with GatorVision about her accomplished and exciting career at the University of Florida, where her time is quickly winding down with her final appearance at the NCAA Championships approaching this month.

GatorVision Interviews Senior Women's Tennis Standout Lauren Embree

Embree shared her thoughts about some individual awards and what it has meant for her to help the Gators win four Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament titles, in addition to a pair of national championships during her stellar career wearing the Gator Orange & Blue.

Embree, currently the No. 1-ranked singles player in the country, was recently honored as the 2013 SEC Player of the Year and became the first athlete in league history to be honored with the conference’s top individual honor three times.

Some of the significant highlights from Embree’s storied career can be traced to the NCAA Team Championships, where she has forever cemented her place as one of the greatest athletes in UF athletics history.

Embree clinched the 2011 and the 2012 NCAA Team Championship point that helped Florida capture back-to-back national titles for the first time and was voted the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player both years.

In the 2011 final played at Stanford against the heavily-favored Cardinal, Embree became the first player in history to clinch the NCAA team title with a third-set tie-breaker victory in the final match on the courts since the collegiate tennis began the doubles-followed-by-singles format in 2001. She did so rallying from a 4-0 third-set deficit to clinch the 4-3 team win, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6). She won all five 2011 doubles dual matches she played at the 2011 NCAA Team Championships, while completing four of six singles matches - all wins.

Embree also found herself in the position to provide the clinching championship point in 2012 against top-ranked UCLA, as she posted a less dramatic but equally effective 6-4, 6-0 victory and capped the Gator’s 4-0 win.

The Gators launch defense of their NCAA title on Sat., May 12, when Florida plays host to Marist at 1 p.m. in the NCAA First Round.

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