Three Canes in NCAA Individual Championships
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – For the second consecutive year, three members of the University of Miami women’s tennis team will compete in the NCAA individual championships.
Junior Stephanie Wagner and freshman Sinead Lohan made the Singles Championship, while Wagner and senior Lina Lileikite were tabbed for the Doubles Championship, as announced by the NCAA Wednesday night. All three bids came via at-large selections.
“To have three players representing Miami in the individual championships is so exciting,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “It not only showcases all their accomplishments and hard work from this season, but it lays the groundwork for Wagner and Lohan heading into next season.”
This is the third consecutive year that Wagner has made the Singles Championship. She advanced to the second round in both 2013 and 2014.
An All-ACC honoree all three of her seasons at Miami, Wagner was named First Team All-ACC for the second year in a row. The Amberg, Germany native is currently ranked tenth in the nation and has not dipped below No. 11 at any point this season, during which she has posted a 14-4 mark in dual matches.
Wagner is one of 16 players in the 64-member field to receive a seed and will enter as one of eight in the 9-16 seed group. By earning a seeded spot in the field, Wagner automatically garners All-America honors for the 2015 season.
Lohan, the first player in program history to win ACC Freshman of the Year, has been among in the top 45 of the ITA’s singles rankings the entire season. A Second Team All-ACC pick, Lohan is ranked No. 40 right now and boasts an overall record of 18-2 in 2015, with seven wins over ranked opponents.
A native of Waterford Ireland, Lohan is one of just seven true freshmen and eight total freshmen in the country to make the field.
Miami was one of just 14 schools to place multiple players in the field, along with three other ACC schools. Thirteen ACC players from seven different schools were selected to the Singles Championship, while two others are among the eight alternates.
For the second straight year Miami has a pair in the NCAA Doubles Championship. Lileikite, from Liepaja, Latvia, will compete in the Individual Championships for the first time. Meanwhile, Wagner will be making her first appearance in the doubles field.
The duo is ranked No. 15 in the country and has been in the top 15 for the entire season. Lileikite and Wagner have posted a 4-2 mark at the top doubles position this season.
One of just 22 at-large bids in the doubles field, Lileikite and Wagner are among the five doubles pairs from the ACC to be selected to the field, each coming from a different school. Two additional ACC duos are listed in the group of six alternates.
Wagner is among the 30 players nationally selected to play in both the NCAA Singles Championship and the NCAA Doubles Championship. Of that group, just 17 are seeded in either field, including two in the ACC. Miami is one of only 20 schools in the nation represented in both tournaments.
The NCAA individual championships will take play May 20-25 at Baylor University’s Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas.
The trio of Hurricanes and their teammates will begin play in the NCAA Team Championship Friday, May 8 at 2:00 p.m. the Neil Schiff Tennis Center in Coral Gables. Miami (16-6, 12-2 ACC), both ranked and seeded No. 15, will be hosting an NCAA Regional for the 11th straight season and opens play against North Florida.
To keep up with the Hurricanes through all of the NCAA Championships, as well as to learn more about University of Miami women’s tennis, follow @HurricaneTennis.
