Sweet 16: Canes Finishing Preparation for Michigan
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STANFORD, Calif. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team is set to compete in the NCAA Round of 16 for the sixth straight season as the Hurricanes advanced out of the Coral Gables Regional last weekend with wins over No. 4 seed FIU and No. 2 seed Texas.
On Friday, Miami (20-6; No. 7 national seed) will be facing Michigan (24-4; No. 10 national seed) at Stanford University’s Taube Tennis Center. The winner will move on to the Elite Eight and face the winner of another Round of 16 match between Florida and Clemson.
“We’re really excited about the match-up,” head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said of playing Michigan. “We know each other pretty well and I think our girls are ready for this.”
The Canes will be taking on the Wolverines on the Taube South Courts at 3 p.m. EST. For live video and results of every court, click here.
This year’s trip to Stanford for the NCAA Championships marks Miami’s first visit here since the Canes lost in the NCAA Championship match to the Cardinal in 2006. Three of the last four seasons, Yaroshuk-Tews has taken the Canes into NCAA quarterfinals.
Miami is led by ACC Player of Year Bianca Eichkorn, who owns a record of 22-2 in dual match play this season. Eichkorn comes into the tournament having won nine straight matches and 18 of her last 19 in the Hurricanes’ top singles position. Last month at the ACC Championships, Eichkorn became Miami’s all-time winningest singles player (both men and women) and last week, she was named the ITA’s Southeast Region Senior of the Year.
She is joined in the top of the line-up by Anna Bartenstein (23-6, 18-4 dual match play), who also enters the tournament having won 15 of her last 16 matches in the No. 2 position.
In doubles, Eichkorn and Bartenstein are 30-4 overall and 23-2 in dual match play in Miami’s top position. The pair is 13-3 against ranked opponents and rides a 12-match winning streak into Round of 16 play.
Sophomore Danielle Mills played a big role in Miami advancing to Stanford, winning both match points in the Coral Gables Regional last weekend. Mills, who was 5-12 in dual match play coming into the tournament, is 4-2 in her last six matches at UM’s No. 5 singles spot.
Friday’s meeting with Michigan will be the second match played this season between the Canes and the Wolverines. Miami won the first meeting, 4-3, in Coral Gables on March 2. The Canes are 7-5 all-time against the Wolverines.
“The doubles point is going to important, as usual,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “But I think we are playing a lot better in doubles than we were earlier in the year when we faced them.
“Singles is just going to be about coming out and dictating play on our terms and not being responsive. We’ve got to handle the day and handle the situation well, especially from the younger kids on the team.”
Michigan’s top player is Denise Muresan, who has gone 19-6 in dual match play in the Wolverines top singles spot. She is joined at the top of the line-up by Brooke Bolender (13-1 at No. 2) and Whitney Taney (10-0 at No. 3).
This is the Hurricanes’ 26th NCAA appearance all-time and 16th straight dating back to the 1996 season. The Hurricanes are 37-25 all-time in the tournament, including a mark of 13-1 at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center after claiming their sixth straight Coral Gables Regional title. Under Yaroshuk-Tews, Miami is 24-10 in the NCAAs.
