@CanesWTennis Opens NCAA Play vs. Quinnipiac
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team will begin play in the 2016 NCAA Team Championship on its home court Friday afternoon against Quinnipiac.
Seventh-ranked and seventh-seeded Miami (19-5, 12-2 ACC) is set to square off against the Bobcats not before 2 p.m., at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. The match could begin later if the 11 a.m., match between Wichita State and TCU runs long.
The Hurricanes won their only prior meeting against Quinnipiac, posting a 4-0 victory in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Team Championship, also in Coral Gables.
Miami enters the match with a 21-1 all-time record at home in NCAA play, with 20 victories coming via shutout. The Hurricanes have won their past 20 NCAA Team Championship contests at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. In addition, Miami is 22-8 in NCAA openers, with 14 wins in a row.
Quinnipiac, seeded No. 49-64 in the NCAA Team Championship and unranked nationally, is 15-10 on the season and has won its last seven matches. The Bobcats, who do not have any nationally-ranked players in the Oracle/ITA singles or doubles rankings, went 7-0 in MAAC play and then won the conference tournament.
The Hurricanes enter NCAA competition with four ranked singles players, including the nation’s lone top-10 teammate duo. Sophomore Sinead Lohan is ranked eighth, senior Stephanie Wagner is ninth, sophomore Yolimar Ogando comes in at No. 42 and sophomore Wendy Zhang holds the No. 75 spot. Ogando has not played in 2016 due to injury.
In doubles, Wagner and Zhang check at No. 12 in the national rankings, while Wagner pairs with fellow senior Clementina Riobueno to form the No. 55 duo in the country.
Tickets to Friday’s matches are just $5 for the public. Entry is free for University of Miami students and athletics staff members with their Cane Cards.
Both matches will be shown live on ESPN3, with Miami’s contest against Quinnipiac broadcast HERE and the morning match HERE. Live stats for both matchups can be found HERE.
To learn more about the University of Miami women’s tennis program, follow @CanesWTennis.
