No. 5 Miami Wraps Up Weekend With Another Convincing Win

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The fifth-ranked University of Miami women’s tennis team improved to 7-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play with a 5-2 victory over No. 36 NC State Sunday afternoon at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.

For the second straight match, the `Canes (15-4, 7-1 ACC) clinched a quick victory by winning the doubles point and the first three singles matches. On Sunday, the `Canes came out on top in all three doubles matches to go up 1-0 before Bianca Eichkorn, Anna Bartenstein and Gabriela Mejia claimed straight set wins in the top three singles spots.

“It was good win today, a good weekend,” head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “NC State is a tough team but we played our game and battled out there.”

Leading 3-0, Mejia’s 6-4, 6-4 victory over Joelle Kissell at No. 3 was the deciding point in the match for the `Canes.

“I was particularly happy with the way Gaby played today,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “She played out of her comfort zone today and was more aggressive from the first point.”

Before her win, the `Canes got two more victories from their top two singles positions. Eichkorn, who is currently ranked eighth nationally in singles, put the `Canes up 2-0 with an overwhelming 6-0, 6-0 shutout of 28th-ranked Sanaa Bhambri. Then came 48th-ranked Bartenstein’s 6-2, 6-2 victory over 83rd-ranked Sandhya Nagaraj before Mejia’s big win at No. 3

“Our play at No. 1 and No. 2 lately is a sign of just how far Bianca and Anna have come in this program,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “I couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and results.”

After UM jumped out to the 4-0 lead, NC State (11-6, 2-5 ACC) won two of the final three matches, picking up victories at No. 4 and No. 6.

Miami’s fifth point of the afternoon came at No. 5, where Melissa Bolivar won a 7-5, 5-7, 11-9 decision over Lenka Hojckova.

The `Canes opened the match with the 11th-ranked tandem of Eichkorn and Bartenstein winning 8-4 at No. 1, Mejia and Bolivar winning 8-2 at No. 2 and Dubins and Danielle Mills winning 8-6 at No. 3.

On Friday, Miami beat No. 50 Wake Forest, 6-1. The Hurricanes are now 9-1 at home.

UM will return to action next weekend when it makes its final regular season road trip of the spring with matches at Boston College and at Maryland. The `Canes will play the Eagles on Friday, April 5 before a quick turnaround to face the Terrapins in College Park on Saturday, April 9.

For additional coverage of UM’s women’s tennis team, visit www.TheUTennis.com.