No. 11 Miami Wins ITA Kick-Off Weekend with Victory Over ASU

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The 11th-ranked University of Miami women’s tennis team has advanced to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships after a 4-3 win over 21st-ranked Arizona State in the championship match of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend Sunday at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.

The Hurricanes (3-0) and Sun Devils (3-1) were knotted up 3-3 when UM junior Gabriela Mejia pulled away from 90th-ranked Hannah James in a crucial third set, winning 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 to secure the victory for the `Canes.

Down 1-0 after doubles play, the `Canes rallied early in singles play, going up 3-1 with wins by freshman Melissa Bolivar at No. 4, 16th-ranked senior Bianca Eichkorn at No. 1 and freshman Brittany Dubins at No. 6.

“I couldn’t be more excited for our freshmen,” head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “I was proud of the way they competed and the way our entire team competed against a really solid Pac-10 team.”

After Miami jumped ahead, Arizona State rallied back, winning the second and third singles positions to set up the deciding match at the No. 5 spot where Mejia eventually prevailed.

“Gaby’s opponent changed her game and after Gaby had a chance to re-group, she really came through for us in the end,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Performances like hers and Bianca’s at No. 1 are what we need from our upperclassmen, particularly in close battles like today.”

Eichkorn’s win – a 6-3, 6-3 victory over No. 34 Kelcy McKenna – came at an important time as it gave the `Canes their first lead of the match. The win for Eichkorn was her third straight at the No. 1 position to open the season.

“Bianca is really setting herself up for a special year,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Beating opponents like McKenna the way she did today really shows just how hard she has worked to be where she is this year.”

Before Eichkorn’s win, the `Canes first point of the afternoon came when Bolivar quickly took out Michelle Brycki, 6-2, 6-4. Dubins then finished off a string of three straight wins for the `Canes with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ashlee Brown.

“The efforts we got from Melissa and Brittany were everything we asked for,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “These kids proved this weekend they will staples in our lineup for a long time if they keep doing what they are doing.”

Prior to singles, the Sun Devils picked up the doubles point winning the second and third positions. After Jacqueline Cako and Brycki defeated Mejia and Bolivar, 8-2, in the No. 2 position the Hurricanes tied it up when Eichkorn and Anna Bartenstein picked up a comfortable 8-4 win at No. 1. With the point then in the balance, ASU pulled away at No. 3, winning 8-5 to take the early lead.

A pair of nationally-ranked players – No. 38 Cako and No. 74 Micaela Hein – gave the Sun Devils their other two points in singles play, but it was Mejia’s win at No. 5 that proved to be the difference.

The Hurricanes will now take the next few weeks off before playing host to FIU on Feb. 11 and Florida State on Feb. 13. Following that weekend, Miami will be one of 16 teams nationally competing at the ITA Indoors, scheduled for Feb. 18-21 in Charlottesville, Va.