Hurricanes Set to Host Virginia Tech and Virginia at home in ACC Action
March 29, 2007
Coral Gables, Fla. – The ninth-ranked University of Miami women’s tennis team will host a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference matches as No. 70 Virginia Tech and No. 49 Virginia pay a visit to Coral Gables. The Hurricanes will take on the Hokies Friday, March 30 at noon before they face the Cavaliers Sunday, April 1 also set to begin at noon.
The Hurricanes remain ninth in the latest Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings with a 13-3 overall record and a 4-1 mark in ACC play.
Last weekend, Miami finished 1-1 in their first conference road-swing of the season falling to then No. 6 Georgia Tech 5-2, and stunning Tiger fans as they wrapped-up with a close upset over then No. 7 Clemson, 4-3.
Despite the loss against the Yellow Jackets, it did not stop No. 1 ranked Audra Cohen from going undefeated in both singles and doubles that tabbed her this week’s ACC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week. In singles, the Plantation, Fla. native topped two ranked opponents beginning with No. 7 Kristi Miller of Georgia Tech, 6-2, 6-4, and Clemson’s No. 85 Estefania Balda, 6-0, 2-6, 6-3.
In doubles, Cohen and partner junior Caren Seenauth, who have moved up six slots to No. 24 in the latest ITA rankings, also finished the weekend undefeated at the No. 2 spot over the Yellow Jacket’s Amanda Craddock and Alison Silverio, 9-7, followed by an 8-6 win over Clemson’s Federica van Adrichem and Ina Hadziselimovic.
Making their debut as a doubles duo in the No. 3 position, junior Gina Sabatino and freshman Laura Vallverdu also captured an undefeated weekend as the two posted an 8-4 win over Kirsten Flower and Tarryn Rudman of Georgia Tech, followed by an impressive upset over Clemson’s No. 45 ranked doubles duo Maria Brito and Alexandra Luc, 8-6.
Scouting the Hokies:
Virginia Tech will head to the Neil Schiff Tennis Center after a 6-1 defeat over Marshall to improve 10-8 overall on the season. They are currently 0-5 in conference play.
Sophomore Inga Beermann, who was the first player in the program’s history to qualify for the NCAA Championship when she was selected to last year’s tournament, clinched the point for the Hokies with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Marshall’s No. 57 Kellie Schmitt in the No. 1 spot.
Junior J.J. Larson held her opponent to just one game in both sets, as she posted a 6-1, 6-1 win over Yulia Kashelkina.
The Hokies are led by head coach Terry Ann Zawacki-Woods, who was a two-time All-American at Wake Forest and was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary team.
Scouting the Cavaliers:
Virginia moved up 15 spots in this week’s ITA rankings to No. 49 after downing then No. 44 N.C. State last week, 4-3.
Senior Caroline Hammond leads the team this season with 24 singles wins, and has a 10-1 dual match record.
Amanda Rales, a sophomore, is currently 8-1 in dual matches at No. 6 singles, including a 4-1 mark in the ACC.
The Cavaliers are 8-6 overall and 2-3 in the ACC after falling to then No. 52 Wake Forest that snapped a two-match conference win-streak.
