No. 11 Women's Tennis Travels to UNC, Duke
April 15, 2010
Complete Match Notes in PDF Format 
Coral Gables, Fla. – The 11th-ranked University of Miami women’s tennis team hits the road for the final two matches of the regular season this weekend, taking on a pair of top 10 opponents along Tobacco Road in North Carolina. The `Canes will take on No. 1 North Carolina on Sat., Apr. 17 (11 a.m.), before departing for nearby Durham to face defending national champion No. 7 Duke on Sun., Apr. 18 (1 p.m.).
Miami (16-3, 9-0 ACC) will be facing its fifth and sixth top 15 opponent of the year this weekend. The Hurricanes are currently enjoying a 13-match win streak, while riding an 18-match win streak against ACC opponents during the regular season. The last regular season loss for the `Canes was against Georgia Tech (L, 5-2) on Mar. 7, 2009, in Atlanta.
Miami has turned in sweeps in the last five matches, including three against nationally ranked opponents from Virginia (No. 30), Brown (No. 66) and NC State (No. 30), respectively. UM is 109-20 in its singles matches in the spring, including a commanding 37-1 performance in the last six matches. The Hurricanes have dropped just five singles matches on the campaign at the No. 1 through No. 3 positions on the court.
At the top three positions in singles play, the Hurricanes use a trio that holds a combined record of 51-5 in the spring. Leading the way is All-American junior Bianca Eichkorn, holding a perfect record of 18-0 on the spring campaign. The Tengen, Germany native is 23-4 overall on the 2009-10 season, and has won 19 matches in a row, dating back to the fall season. In the latest Campbell/ITA singles poll, Eichkorn sits at No. 34.
Joining Eichkorn in the top trio is three-time All-American senior Laura Vallverdu, playing her matches at the No. 1 singles slot. Vallverdu is 28-9 overall on the year, and holds a 16-3 mark in the spring. The Valencia, Venezuela native has strung together six consecutive wins for the `Canes at the No. 1 position. She is currently ranked No. 6 in the ITA singles poll, while being ranked twice in the doubles poll. Her highest doubles position this week is No. 6, alongside partner sophomore Gabriela Mejia, as the two hold a record of 19-5 on the year (8-3 dual). Together, they have won five straight at the top flight doubles spot.
The third student-athlete for the `Canes in the trio is sophomore Anna Bartenstein, taking her place in both the No. 2 and No. 3 singles slot. A native of Graz, Austria, Bartenstein is ranked No. 79 in this week’s singles poll. She enters the weekend toting a record of 27-4, and sitting second on the team in total wins. In the spring season, Bartenstein is 17-2, with an ACC record of 8-1. Additionally, she has won seven consecutive matches in singles play. Alongside partner Eichkorn, the Bartenstein/Eichkorn duo is ranked No. 53 in this week’s doubles poll, holding a 14-3 record on the year (10-1 dual).
The North Carolina Tar Heels come into the weekend with a record of 22-3 (9-0 ACC). The Tar Heels are ranked No. 1 in this week’s Campbell/ITA team poll, and have swapped back-and-forth with Baylor for the majority of the season for the No. 1 and No. 2 position. Katrina Tsang (8-8) and Sanaz Marand (5-4) share duties at the top singles slot for UNC, while both are ranked this week. Tsang is this week’s ACC Player of the Week, and sits 42. Marand is the highest ranked UNC player, coming in this week at No. 30.
Sophie Grabinski is also ranked for UNC, placing herself at No. 125 in this week’s poll. In doubles play, Marand and Grabinski are ranked No. 12 as a team, with teammates Tsang and Shinann Featherston ranked No. 40 this week.
Miami holds a commanding 13-2 advantage in the series against North Carolina, including a win last year in Coral Gables. The `Canes claimed a 6-1 victory in the regular season meeting, and have won two of the last three meetings against the Tar Heels.
The defending national champions Duke University enter the weekend with a record of 18-5, and rank No. 7 in this week’s ITA team poll. The Blue Devils are 6-3 in the ACC, but hold an 11-1 record at home on the year.
Ellah Nze, a previous ACC Player of the Week, is the top flight player for the Blue Devils, holding a record of 22-11 on the year (14-7 dual). She is 7-6 in the top spot for Duke, and is ranked No. 50 in the singles poll. Beside her is Reka Zsilinszka, ranked No. 36, and sports a team-leading 27 wins in singles play. She is 6-0 at the No. 2 slot, while holding a record of 7-1 at the third spot. Elizabeth Plotkin (25-7 overall) is also ranked for Duke, sitting this week at No. 77. The doubles team of Amanda Granson and Ellah Nze is the highest ranked duo for Duke, holding a record of 15-10 overall (11-8 dual), and sits at No. 47 in the doubles poll.
Duke holds a slight 11-9 edge in the all-time series against the Hurricanes. Last season, the two teams met three times, with Duke taking a 2-1 advantage. The `Canes and Blue Devils met last year during the regular season, with UM taking the victory in Coral Gables (W, 5-2). Following that, the two met in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship match in Cary, N.C., with the Blue Devils claiming the win (L, 4-3). The final meeting occurred in the NCAA Championships Quarterfinals, with the Blue Devils earning the win (L, 4-1) in that match as well in College Station, Texas.
After returning from North Carolina, the ‘Canes will have little time to rest before traveling back to the RDU area of North Carolina for the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships in Cary, N.C. The tournament is set to begin Thurs., Apr. 22, at Cary Tennis Park. The event runs through Sun., Apr. 25. For more information, please log on to www.theacc.com.
