@CanesWTennis Releases 2017 Spring Schedule
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head women’s tennis coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews announced Wednesday the team’s schedule for the upcoming 2017 spring season.
The slate features at least 16 matches against teams that were in the final 2016 ITA rankings, including seven against teams in the top 30. Miami could play as many as 19 nationally-ranked teams from last year—including 11 top-30 teams—in the regular season.
“You just get better with better competition. Over the past five years we’ve kind of gotten rid of the ‘gimmes’ on our schedule,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “The quality of tennis that we’re going to be playing, beginning with the first weekend, it just says a lot about how much we believe in these girls and how much we believe in them being ready to go in January when they come back [from winter break].”
The Hurricanes will open the season by welcoming Kentucky, Texas Tech and Vanderbilt to the Neil Schiff Tennis Center for the Miami Spring Invite, held Jan. 20-22.
Miami then begins dual match play by hosting ITA Kick-Off Weekend. The top-seeded Hurricanes face Brown Jan. 28 at 10 a.m., and then meet either second-seeded Texas A&M or third-seeded South Alabama the following day.
If the Hurricanes win both matches, they will advance to the prestigious ITA National Team Indoor Championship in New Haven, Conn., Feb. 10-13.
Miami begins ACC play at home against Florida State Feb. 21 at 10 a.m., and then has two more non-conference matches, both in Columbus, Ohio. There, the Hurricanes will play Baylor Feb. 24 at noon and then Ohio State the next day at noon.
“[For much] of February we’re inside, which is, I think, where we need to improve in order to be really successful in our conference and really successful in situations late in the season,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “So, that’s kind of why we’re doing what we’re doing what we’re doing in February.”
Conference action then fills the remainder of the regular season, beginning with home matches against NC State March 3 at 2 p.m., and Wake Forest March 5 at 11 a.m.
After its ACC road opener at Georgia Tech March 14 at a 3 p.m., Miami returns home to square off against reigning ACC champion, North Carolina, March 17 at 4 p.m., and Duke March 19 at noon.
Yaroshuk-Tews and the Hurricanes then have four consecutive road matches: at Boston College (March 24, 1 p.m.), at Notre Dame (March 26, noon), at Louisville (April 7, 3 p.m.) and at Syracuse (April 9, 11 a.m.).
Miami hosts Clemson April 14 at 2 p.m., and then faces Pittsburgh April 16 at 10 a.m., for senior day, during which redshirt senior Maci Epstein will be honored.
The Hurricanes conclude the regular season in the state of Virginia, taking on Virginia Tech April 23 at 3 p.m., and Virginia April 25 at 11 a.m.
“I think, as a staff, we’re obviously prepared; we know what to expect. I think the upperclassmen are prepared; they know what to expect,” Yaroshuk-Tews said of ACC play. “I think that there will be a little bit of a learning curve and a little bit of a transition for the kids on our teams who have not played that [type of] quality tennis every weekend for an entire season, but that’s our job, to get them prepared. It’s fun to play in one of the toughest conferences in the country. It only makes us better.”
The ACC Championship will take place April 26-30 in Rome, Ga., with the NCAA Team Championship opening May 12-14 at campus sites.
Miami is coming off a 21-6 (12-2 ACC) season in 2016, finishing the campaign ranked No. 10 nationally and reaching the Sweet 16 for the 11th consecutive year.
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
