No. 10 Miami Hosts FIU and Michigan This Weekend
Feb. 1, 2008
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Just days after the University of Miami women’s tennis team entered the ITA Top 10, the 10th-ranked Hurricanes are set to play host to a pair of nationally-ranked opponents in No. 31 Florida International and No. 30 Michigan this weekend at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
The Hurricanes open the weekend with a battle against cross-town foe FIU on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. before turning around to face one the Big Ten’s top teams in Michigan on Sunday at 10 a.m. The match-up with the Wolverines is a part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, a battle of conference supremacy with the teams from each league squaring off this weekend.
The Hurricanes (1-0) have gotten out to a fast start to open the spring season, going a combined 34-5 in singles and doubles play at the FGCU/Johan Kriek Classic, Jan. 18-21, before cruising to a 7-0 win over Florida Atlantic in their home opener last week. No. 29 Laura Vallverdu and Romy Farah continued their dominance at the top with both picking up 6-0, 6-0 shutout wins in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots respectively against FAU. The duo also picked up an 8-3 win over the Owls to improve to 4-0 this season as a doubles tandem.
FIU will be opening its dual meet season Saturday morning against the Hurricanes. The two teams did however meet in doubles action in Fort Myers a few weeks back, with the `Canes winning all three matches over the Golden Panthers.
“They are a scrappy and really talented at the top,” head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “We always have competitive matches against FIU and this weekend should be no different.”
The Wolverines enter the weekend with a mark of 1-2, with losses on the road to then-No. 16 Vanderbilt and No. 34 Kentucky last week to open their dual meet schedule before picking up a 4-3 win at home against No. 12 Notre Dame on Thursday.
“Michigan is a really disciplined team,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “They’ve already had some close battles with some solid teams and I know they’ll be ready to go again on Sunday.”
Following this weekend’s matches, UM will head to Madison, Wis. to participate in the 2008 USTA/ITA National Indoors, Feb. 8-10. The event, hosted by the University of Wisconsin, features 16 teams nationally, including 13 teams currently ranked in the ITA’s Top 15.
“This weekend will be a good test for us to see where we are before we head to Madison next week,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Our girls know they are going to have to come out this weekend and play solid matches, not just show up.”
Admission is free to all home matches at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
