No. 11 Women's Tennis Blanks No. 30 Virginia, 7-0

March 28, 2010

Results | Complete Results (PDF)

Coral Gables, Fla. – No. 11 University of Miami took the doubles point in straight-set fashion, and then claimed all six singles positions on Sunday, turning in a 7-0 victory against No. 30 University of Virginia in ACC women’s tennis action at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

Miami (12-3, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) came out strong in the doubles point, tallying three straight victories in the No. 1-3 positions against the visiting Virginia Cavaliers (10-5, 3-2 ACC).

UM began with the team of freshman Danielle Mills and senior Claudia Wasilewski picking up their fifth win together on the year (second in the spring) by virtue of an 8-4 triumph over Virginia’s team of Maria Fuccillo and Emily Fraser at the No. 3 spot. Miami followed that with an 8-5 victory at the top flight position, using the seventh-ranked duo of Gabriela Mejia and Laura Vallverdu, as they took down Virginia’s 50th-ranked pair of Lindsey Hardenbergh and Erin Vierra.

The win for Mejia and Vallverdu allowed them to move their record to 16-5 on the year, raising their spring performance at 5-3.

UM completed the doubles sweep at the No. 2 position, as the 64th-ranked team of Anna Bartenstein and Bianca Eichkorn laid claim to a 9-7 come-from-behind win over the Cavaliers’ duo of Hana Tomljanovic and Jennifer Stevens. For Bartenstein and Eichkorn, the win improved their record to 11-3 overall (7-1 dual).

In singles competition, Miami started off slow as the Cavaliers of Virginia began leading in four-of-five positions midway through the opening set on the courts. However, the Hurricanes bounced back quickly to knot the scores across the board, while leading on the other two courts.

Senior Claudia Wasilewski bounced back from a loss on Friday, turning in a straight-set (6-3, 6-3) win against the Cavs’ Maria Fuccillo at the No. 6 spot. Wasilewski earned her 16th win of the year, and raised her overall record to 16-10 (9-5 dual).

Next off the courts was senior three-time All-America performer Laura Vallverdu, ranked No. 7 in the Campbell/ITA singles poll, as she finished Virginia’s Lindsey Hardenbergh (No. 41) in straight-set fashion (6-4, 6-1). For Vallverdu, she continues to lead the team in singles wins this year, raising her record to 24-9, while adding to her spring performance at 12-3 – all at the top singles position.

The `Canes claimed the match victory on court two when All-American junior Bianca Eichkorn, ranked No. 33 nationally, put away her team-leading 15th opponent of the spring by virtue of a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Virginia’s Emily Fraser. In the process, Eichkorn remains perfect for UM in the spring (15-0), while raising her overall record for the year to 20-4. For the Tengen, Germany native, the win allowed her to tally her third-straight 20-win season in Coral Gables, while collecting her 16th consecutive singles win.

“I told the girls after the match that, as a coach, I am so proud of how far they’ve come as a team,” stated UM head women’s tennis coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews. “It is days like today, as a coach, that I find it so rewarding. If you look at the No. 1-6 positions today, we competed so well. I had a freshman [Danielle Mills] that came through with her back against the wall, and she has come so far. To beat a team like Virginia by a 7-0 score at this point in the season, and after the week we’ve had with so many matches, says so much about this team.”

Miami continued its strong play at the No. 3 position when `Canes sophomore Anna Bartenstein (No. 62) fought past the Cavaliers’ Erin Vierra in straight sets on a 6-4, 7-6(6) line. The win improved Bartenstein’s record for the year to 23-4, while raising her spring record at 13-2. She has now won three consecutive matches for UM.

The match advantage for UM raised to 6-0 when Danielle Mills took a three-set decision from Virginia’s Jennifer Stevens – a Miami native, at the No. 5 position on a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 line. After struggling with what appeared to be cramps for the latter-half of the match, Mills earned her 15th win of the season, and pushed her dual record to 10-4.

The final point and 7-0 decision was decided on court four when sophomore Gabriela Mejia (No. 107) fought from behind to win a three-set affair from Virginia’s Hana Tomljanovic at the No. 4 position. Mejia used a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 line to record the victory, improving her season record at 20-3 (14-1 dual). For Mejia, the win extended her winning streak to nine matches – second-longest on this year’s team behind the current 16-match streak by Eichkorn.

“I’m so proud of the team’s effort and belief in the philosophy that we, as a coaching staff, are putting in place for them,” said Yaroshuk-Tews. “I warned them heading into singles that Virginia was going to come out tough after being down after doubles. We could’ve done a better job of getting off to a quick start, but I thought we did a great job of battling back and neutralizing them, and then making the match swing in our advantage. I’m really proud to be these girls’ coach today.”

Miami extends its winning streak to nine matches with the win today, and will conclude the final match of a four-match homestand on Tues., Mar, 30, when the Hurricanes play host to Ivy League opponent Brown University at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center at 2 p.m.

Against Brown University, the Hurricanes will wear pink uniforms in honor of breast cancer awareness. The match, and day as a whole, is being billed as Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Pink “U” Tennis shirts will be available with any minimum donation of $10. The jerseys worn by the Hurricanes women’s tennis team will be auctioned off online, with those proceeds also benefitting breast cancer research and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“We’re going to try and raise money for a great cause,” expressed Yaroshuk-Tews. “I think for us to put our efforts into something like that is something we feel so strongly about, and it’s fantastic. We’re going to just go out, and try to raise as much money as we can for a very worthy cause.”

Following the match against Brown, the Hurricanes will next travel to ACC opponent NC State on Fri., Apr. 2, at Noon in Raleigh, N.C. After that, UM has little time to rest, as the `Canes will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., facing Wake Forest the following day at Noon.

Admission to the Brown match, as well as all regular season home matches at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center, is free.

No. 11 Miami 7, No. 30 Virginia 0

Singles
1. #7 Laura Vallverdu (UM) def. #41 Lindsey Hardenbergh (UVA) 6-4, 6-1
2. #33 Bianca Eichkorn (UM) def. Emily Fraser (UVA) 6-3, 6-2
3. #62 Anna Bartenstein (UM) def. Erin Vierra (UVA) 6-4, 7-6 (8-6)
4. #107 Gabriela Mejia (UM) def. Hana Tomljanovic (UVA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Danielle Mills (UM) def. Jennifer Stevens (UVA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
6. Claudia Wasilewski (UM) def. Maria Fuccillo (UVA) 6-3, 6-3
Order of Finish: (6, 1, 2*, 3, 5, 4)

Doubles
1. #7 Gabriela Mejia/Laura Vallverdu (UM) def. #50 Lindsey Hardenbergh/Erin Vierra (UVA) 8-5
2. #64 Anna Bartenstein/Bianca Eichkorn (UM) def. #66 Hana Tomljanovic/Jennifer Stevens (UVA) 9-7
3. Danielle Mills/Claudia Wasilewski (UM) def. Maria Fuccillo/Emily Fraser (UVA) 8-4
Order of Finish: (3, 1*, 2)