Miami Women's Tennis to Host ITA Kickoff Weekend
Jan. 27, 2011
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The 11th-ranked University of Miami women’s tennis team will play host to Arizona State, FIU and South Carolina in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend on Saturday and Sunday at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
The `Canes (1-0), who are coming off a 7-0 win over FAU in their season opener last week, will take on No. 54 FIU at 2 p.m. on Saturday with the winner to play either No. 21 Arizona State or No. 22 South Carolina in the championship game on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Led by 10th-year head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews and All-America senior Bianca Eichkorn, Miami enters the weekend as the tournament’s top-ranked team. Eichkorn, who is currently ranked No. 16 nationally in singles play, is the tournament’s top player.
“I think our girls are ready to come out and take it to the next level,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Our upperclassmen will be ready and I’m expecting the energy to come from them. How the freshmen perform will have a lot to do with how our weekend is defined.”
Behind Eichkorn are juniors Anna Bartenstein and Gabriela Mejia, sophomore Danielle Mills and freshmen Melissa Bolivar, Brittany Dubins, Bistra Otashliyska and Kayla Rizzolo. In singles play, Bartenstein is ranked No. 98 by the ITA, while Mills is No. 99.
Arizona State’s Kelcy McKenna (No. 34) is the tournament’s top-ranked player behind Eichkorn, while South Carolina’s top-ranked player is No. 37 Anya Morgina.
“We are excited to play some of the best talent in the country this weekend,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “It’s time to implement everything we’ve been working on in practice. We need energy, we need determination and we need to believe in ourselves.”
ITA KICK-OFF WEEKEND INFORMATION
What: Tennis tournament featuring Miami, Arizona State, FIU and South Carolina
Where: Neil Schiff Tennis Center on UM’s campus
When: Saturday, Jan. 29 – Sunday, Jan. 30 (10 a.m. & 2 p.m. both days)
Coral Gables will serve as one of 15 host sites nationally for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, which features four teams at every site. The 15 schools that win both of their matches at these events will be invited to play in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship at the Boar’s Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Va., Feb. 18-21.
SUNDAY IS KIDS DAY Sunday at Neil Schiff Tennis Center has been designated Kids Day, with a several interactive activities available throughout the afternoon leading up to a post-match autograph session with the `Canes.
Among the activities for the kids are…
Facepainting
Sign-Making Station
Make your own Ice Cream Sundae
Post-Match Autograph Session
Hang out with Sebastian the Ibis
Win free Miami Hurricane giveaways
Admission to all four matches is free to the public. Click HERE for directions to the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
If you are unable to make it out this weekend, live results for all four matches will be available HERE.
