No. 11 UM Closes Regular Season With Seventh Straight Win
April 13, 2008
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – For the second time this weekend, the 11th-ranked University of Miami women’s tennis team earned a dominating 6-1 win over an ITA Top 50 opponent, easing past No. 35 Wake Forest in its regular season finale Sunday afternoon at Leighton Stadium. The win gives Miami (15-4, 8-2 ACC) its seventh straight victory to close out the regular season and it clinches a first-round bye for the Hurricanes in this upcoming week’s ACC Tournament.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
The 2008 ACC Tennis Championships, which begin on Thursday, April 17 and run through Sunday, April 20, will be held at SanlandoPark in Altamonte Springs, Fla. All 12 ACC teams will participate in the annual tournament, with the top four teams from the regular season receiving an opening round bye. The league office is expected to announce the tournament seedings Monday morning.
The Hurricanes went up 1-0 early in the afternoon after Wake Forest (8-12, 4-7) forfeited the No. 3 position and15th-ranked doubles team of Laura Vallverdu and Romy Farah – winners of nine of their last 12 together at No. 1 – took out Sasha Kulikova and Christian Tara, 8-4, in the top doubles spot.
For the third time in as many matches, the Hurricanes won four of the top five singles matches. No. 53 Michaela Kissell bounced back from a tough loss on Saturday to pick up a big win over Christian Tara at No. 2, 6-7, 7-5, 1-0 while Bianca Eichkorn, who slid up to No. 3 with Farah out of UM’s singles lineup, won her eighth straight match with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Emilee Malvehy.
Caren Seenauth and Claudia Wasilewski continued their strong play as of late, winning the fourth and fifth positions respectively. Seenauth, who moved up to No. 4, claimed a 6-4, 6-0 win over Katarina Reveche and Wasilewski edged out Aileen Davis, 2-6, 6-0, 1-0 in the fifth spot.
No. 20 Vallverdu had her seven-match winning streak at No. 1 snapped when Kulikova won 6-1, 6-2 for the Demon Deacon’s lone point of the day.
WakeForest forfeited the sixth singles position.
The wins over No. 45 NC State on Saturday and WakeForest on Sunday also guaranteed the Hurricanes would finish fourth or higher in the regular season ACC standings for the fourth-straight season that UM has been a member of the league.
Check back with Hurricanesports.com on Monday for an announcement regarding Miami’s seeding and schedule for the ACC tournament.
No. 11 Miami 6, No. 35 WakeForest 1
Singles
1. Sasha Kulikova (WFU) def. No. 20 Laura Vallverdu (UM), 6-1, 6-2
2. No. 53 Michaela Kissell (UM) def. Christian Tara (WFU), 6-7, 7-5, 1-0
3. Bianca Eichkorn (UM) def. Emilee Malvehy (WFU), 6-2, 6-2
4. Caren Seenauth (UM) def. Katarina Reveche (WFU), 6-4, 6-0
5. Claudia Wasilewski (UM) def. Aileen Davis (WFU), 2-6, 6-0, 1-0
6. WFU Forfeit
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 4*, 5, 2
Doubles
1. No. 15 Laura Vallverdu/Romy Farah (UM) def. Sasha Kulikova/Christian Tara (WFU), 8-4
2. Katarina Reveche/Aileen Davis (WFU) def. Bianca Eichkorn/Caren Seenauth (UM), 8-6
3. WFU Forfeit
Order of Finish: 1*, 2
