What Alabama gymnastics coach Dana Duckworth said ahead of Kentucky meet

Alabama gymnastics returns to Coleman Coliseum on Friday for its home opener against Kentucky. The ninth-ranked Wildcats are the third top-10 opponent for Alabama, following Oklahoma and Florida.

The Crimson Tide come into this week ranked 10th after a season-high 196.925 score last week.

Alabama (0-2, 0-1 SEC) will serve as the conference opener for Kentucky (1-0, 0-0). The Wildcats' scheduled opener against Georgia was postponed due to COVID-19 issues within Georgia's program. The meet will be televised by SEC Network at 6:30 p.m.

Here's what Alabama coach Dana Duckworth said ahead of the meet:

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On Alabama's team heading into Kentucky

"I saw a group of competitors that were extremely focused, and we asked them to share their passion for the sport, to be very persistent and not give up, fight for every single tenth, and really try to be precise. So, what's great is they're hungry for more and they really do want to maximize their potential."

On season-opening performances against Oklahoma and Florida:

"Each week, we want to continue to get better. Starting against OU, a super competitive team that has won championships, then moving over to the SEC and being in Florida, this only sets us up to make more improvements. The focus is there, the precision is there. We're focused on improving the landings. If we do that, our scores will improve."

On the return of Shallon Olsen, Kaylee Quinn, and Lilly Hudson

"They added to the confidence of the lineup for sure. Having those 10.0 start values in your lineup of course gives you a competitive advantage because you're competing against teams that have 9.95 start values because you immediately have more scoring potential. They are dynamic."

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On Lilly Hudson's impact as a freshman

"When I describe Lilly, she is a gamer. She loves to compete. She loves the sport. If you watch the Dana Duckworth Show, there's a feature on her. She shares how, when she first started the sport, her dream was the Olympics. She's an elite athlete. After training and getting some experience, she had some injuries. To see her overcome adversity, to not quit, to continue to find a new path. She committed to Alabama in the 8th grade, she's wanted this for a long time, and she talked about in her video 'I went from a girl who wanted to be an Olympian to a new why, and it was the University of Alabama.' So, I love how calm, cool, and collected she is. She competes like a veteran. She's relentless. She goes after things. That's the kind of role model you want, especially as a freshman. I love that she loves the sport, and I love that she loves to compete."

On this week's alumni night as an alum of Alabama gymnastics

"Alumni meet is so much more than gymnastics. We want relationships. And to see the athletes — I've been an athlete, I've been an assistant, I've been a volunteer, I've been a head coach — I've been blessed to know almost every single one in one of those roles. Most of them I coached. Most of them before me I have a deep relationship with because they love our program and they want to get back and support us. So alumni week for me is about celebrating their lives. It's great to see all these athletes with children and having careers and coming back to the university that shaped them into the women they are. As one of those women, I take a great deal of pride. I want to make them proud. Our team wants to make them proud."

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What Alabama gymnastics coach Dana Duckworth said ahead of home opener