@HurricaneTennis Falls to Third-Ranked UNC
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – One day after defeating the nation’s seventh-ranked team, Alabama, the University of Miami faced off against third-ranked North Carolina at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
No. 12 Miami dropped its quarterfinal matchup with the Tar Heels, 4-0, at Boar’s Head Sports Club Saturday afternoon.
“North Carolina was just too good for us today,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “We weren’t able to implement game plans the way we needed to. We need to put this match behind us and get ready for another big battle tomorrow.”
Doubles play followed a similar format to the way it went Friday, but with a different outcome.
Miami (3-1) and North Carolina split the first two doubles matches, with senior Lina Lileikite and junior Stephanie Wagner’s match ending first. The eighth-ranked pair in the country fell 6-0 to North Carolina’s Jamie Loeb and Caroline Price.
No. 15 Monique Albuquerque and Clementina Riobueno then won their top 15 showdown with No. 13 Ashley Dai and Kate Vialle, 6-4.
Once again, it came down to the freshman pair of Sinead Lohan and Wendy Zhang, ranked No. 37. One day earlier, the freshmen defeated Alabama’s Natalia Maynetto and Luicelena Perez in a tiebreaker to give Miami the doubles point, but it was not to be this time around.
The duo came ever so close to giving Miami the doubles point, leading both 5-4 and 6-5, before falling in a tiebreaker, 8-6, to Hayley Carter and Whitney Kay.
In singles play, No. 22 Caroline Price knocked off No. 94 Lina Lileikite, 6-3, 6-0, and then Whitney Kay defeated No. 88 Clementina Riobueno, 6-4, 6-4.
With the Tar Heels needing one more point to clinch the match, it was Kate Vialle who provided it in a hard fought match against Monique Albuquerque. The Miami senior managed to even the second set at 5-5, but Vialle outlasted her for a 6-3, 7-5 win to give North Carolina (7-0) the victory.
Despite their elimination from the main draw, the Hurricanes’ time in Charlottesville is not yet complete. Miami will play a consolation match Sunday, with the opponent and time still to be determined.
The Hurricanes will also get a rematch against North Carolina in ACC play in just under two months when they host the Tar Heels at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center in Coral Gables, Fla. April 4.
For more information on University of Miami women’s tennis, follow @HurricaneTennis.
SATURDAY RESULTS
Singles Competition
1. No. Jamie Loeb (UNC) vs. No. 7 Stephanie Wagner (Miami), 4-6, 6-2, 0-0, unfinished
2. No. 31 Hayley Carter (UNC) vs. No. 39 Sinead Lohan (Miami), 7-5, 5-5, unfinished
3. No. 22 Caroline Price (UNC) def. No. 94 Lina Lileikite (Miami), 6-3, 6-0
4. Whitney Kay (UNC) def. No. 88 Clementina Riobueno (Miami), 6-4, 6-4
5. Ashley Dai (UNC) vs. No. 58 Wendy Zhang (Miami), 7-6, 2-2, unfinished
6. Kate Vialle (UNC) def. Monique Albuquerque (Miami), 6-3, 7-5
Doubles Competition
1. No. 15 Monique Albuquerque/Clementina Riobueno (Miami) def. No. 13 Ashley Dai/Kate Vialle (UNC), 6-4
2. Jamie Loeb/Caroline Price (UNC) def. No. 8 Stephanie Wagner/Lina Lileikite (Miami), 6-0
3. Hayley Carter/Whitney Kay (UNC) def. No. 37 Sinead Lohan/Wendy Zhang (Miami), 7-6
