@HurricaneTennis into Top 10 of ITA Rankings
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team rose into the top 10 of the ITA rankings, as announced Tuesday afternoon.
The Hurricanes are ranked ninth in the nation, their highest ranking since February 2014. Miami (3-2) is coming off a trio of matches against top 10 opponents at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Charlottesville, Va.
Miami began play in Virginia by winning 4-1 against seventh-ranked Alabama to advance to the quarterfinals. The Hurricanes then fell to the eventual tournament champion, third-ranked North Carolina, now ranked first in the country.
In a consolation match, Miami lost to the defending national champion, top-ranked UCLA, to close the weekend.
“We are definitely a better team coming out of this tournament then we were coming in,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said after play concluded. “Having played number one, three and seven in the nation on the weekend just makes a team stronger. We learned so much about this team and I’m looking forward to an amazing season.”
The Hurricanes are one of seven ACC teams in the top 25, the second most of any conference in the country. The ACC is tied for the most top 10 teams with three, including top-ranked North Carolina.
The Hurricanes continue to have five ranked singles players, with junior Stephanie Wagner remaining in the top 10 in the nation. The Amberg, Germany native comes in eighth on the list.
Freshman Sinead Lohan moved up three spots to No. 36, while junior Clementina Riobueno jumped 27 places and is now ranked No. 61. Senior Lina Lileikite also made a sizable move, climbing up 16 spot to No. 78. Freshman Wendy Zhang is the fifth ranked Hurricane and she checks in at No. 98.
As was the case in the last set of rankings, three Hurricane doubles pairs are included, with one in the top 10 and another in top 20. Lina Lileikite and Stephanie Wagner form the nation’s No. 10 duo, while senior Monique Albuquerque teams with Clementina Riobueno in the No. 17 spot. Sinead Lohan and Wendy Zhang are ranked No. 57.
The Hurricanes will resume play Friday, Feb. 20 against FGCU at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center in Coral Gables, Fla., with action scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m.
For more information on University of Miami women’s tennis, follow @HurricaneTennis.
