No. 5 Hurricanes Welcome NC State and Wake Forest
April 2, 2009
Coral Gables, Fla. – The fifth-ranked University of Miami Hurricanes women’s tennis team welcomes the NC State Wolfpack and No. 34 Wake Forest Demon Deacons this weekend to the Neil Schiff Tennis Center for a pair of ACC contests in Coral Gables, Fla.
Miami (18-3, 7-1 ACC) opens the weekend double-feature with the Wolfpack of NC State (4-13, 1-6 ACC) Friday, Apr. 3. The match is slated for a noon start time. The Hurricanes conclude the weekend Sunday, Apr. 5 against the 34th-ranked Demon Deacons of Wake Forest, also beginning at noon.
The match against WFU concludes the home season for the Hurricanes, currently sitting at 12-0 in the friendly confines of the Neil Schiff Tennis Center, with their record sitting at 14 consecutive wins at home dating back to the 2008 Coral Gables Regional in the NCAA Tournament.
UM currently has four players ranked in the ITA/Campbell’s singles poll, while four doubles pairs are ranked as well.
Julia Cohen (No. 4) earned her highest ranking of the year in singles play this week while riding a 12-match winning streak, with 10 of those being straight-set wins. Cohen, a two-time ACC Player of the Week, has won all of her matches at the first position in singles play, while defeating 10 ranked opponents during her current winning streak. Cohen is also ranked twice in doubles play with partners Laura Vallverdu, ranked 19th together, as well as classmate Bianca Eichkorn–with the two debuting at No. 47 in this week’s poll.
Speaking of Vallverdu, a two-time All-America performer for the Paige Yaroshuk-Tews coached Hurricanes, the Valencia, Venezuela native jumped to No. 22 in this week’s singles poll after collecting a 2-0 week last week and winning her last three matches–two against ranked opponents. Aside from being ranked with Cohen, Vallverdu is also ranked in doubles play with sophomore Michaela Kissell, coming in at No. 15 this week at their highest ranking of the year. The team debuted to start the season at No. 6.
Eichkorn is ranked in her second-highest position of the year in singles with a No. 27 mark this week. She began the 2009 campaign ranked No. 20 in singles play, before falling to No. 51 in the next poll. She’s won seven matches consecutively in singles play, and has collected 13 wins in her last 15 matches. In doubles play, she has produced seven consecutive wins in doubles play with partner Julia Cohen.
Eichkorn holds a record of 32-6 on the year, leading the team in wins. Eichkorn not only has team-leading 32 singles victories, but she’s also tied for seventh place all-time at UM for wins in a single season. She joins her name with teammate Laura Vallverdu (2007-08) and Audrey Bañada (2006-07).
Michaela Kissell dropped a spot in the latest singles polls down to No. 51 despite winning both of her singles and doubles matches for the week. Kissell owns a record of 29-7 on the year, needing just one more to become the second Hurricanes performer on this year’s team to post a 30-win season. Kissell also owns a team-leading 25-12 record in doubles play with five different partners on the year. Most recently, she’s been playing at first flight doubles with Laura Vallverdu, as the two ranks 15th nationally in the latest poll.
Admission to both matches this weekend is free.
For more information on University of Miami Women’s Tennis, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. After browsing to the women’s tennis home page, you will find the latest news, stats and match notes pertaining to the Hurricanes Women’s Tennis program.
About NC State…
The NC State Wolfpack is the first unranked opponent Miami is facing within the ACC this season. The Wolfpack have dropped five of their last six matches and remains winless away from home this season. NC State is just 4-13 overall and 1-6 in the ACC, finishing up conference play with four matches on the road. The 45th-ranked duo of junior Berkeley Brock (Knoxville, Tenn.) and sophomore Lenka Hojckova (Povazska Bystrica, Slovakia) lead the Wolfpack in doubles. Hojckova, ranked No. 99 in singles play, plays in the number one singles position. The Wolfpack are a young squad, as five of the eight players on the roster are either freshman or sophomores.
Series vs. NC State…
UM is 6-0 all-time against the Wolfpack of NC State. This budding feud has been dominated in the past by the Hurricanes, who have dropped a total of four team points to the Wolfpack in the six meetings. UM took last year’s contest by a count of 6-1 in Raleigh, N.C., where the Wolfpack sat No. 45 in the nation.
About Wake Forest…
Wake Forest is ranked No. 34 in this week’s ITA poll. The Demon Deacons come into the weekend on a two-match losing streak after previously winning four straight. Wake Forest has a 12-6 overall record and 3-3 mark in the ACC. Junior Sasha Kulikova (Moscow, Russia) is ranked No. 51 and plays in the first singles position. Kulikova has won the team MVP award in her first two seasons and was named All-ACC her sophomore year. She is also teamed up with senior Sierra Poske (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) as the 55th doubles team in the nation. Wake Forest is under the direction of head coach Chad Skorupka, who has guided the Demon Deacons to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in his first three years at the helm. Wake Forest will play their remaining five ACC games all on the road to close the season.
Series vs. Wake Forest…
The Hurricanes hold a commanding 10-1 advantage all-time against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. The `Canes claimed a 6-1 victory Wake Forest, then ranked No. 35, in Winston-Salem, N.C. last year on Apr. 13. UM is a perfect 5-0 under Yaroshuk-Tews against WFU, with all five wins coming via 6-1 or 5-2 decisions.
A Pocket Full of Singles…
Miami is 102-23 in singles matches on the year, including a 49-11 mark in the last 10 matches–all against nationally ranked opponents. Miami has claimed a total of six shutouts this year, and eight more wins coming by a 6-1 decision. The Hurricanes may not be collecting the doubles point all the time, but a singles shot will do just fine.
Tag Team Back Again…
All four of Miami’s singles players that are ranked, are also ranked in doubles play–with a variety of partners. Cohen is ranked with two partners; similar to Eichkorn; same as Vallverdu; as well is Kissell. It doesn’t matter who steps in, the Hurricanes are ranked with a variety of tag teams.
Up Next for the `Canes…
Miami returns to the road for the last match of the regular season when the Hurricanes face the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. The match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on Apr. 10.
