@CanesWTennis Opens 2017 at No. 12, Lohan Sixth
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team checks in at No. 12 in the nation in the pre-spring ITA rankings to begin 2017.
In addition, the Hurricanes have a trio of singles players in the top 70, headlined by junior Sinead Lohan placing sixth, and one doubles pair in the top 50.
“I think this is a fair start for our team. This year is about taking the next step–we have the talent.” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “My vibe on this team is that they are going to die for their friends. They are more than teammates this year which is going to have a huge impact.”
Miami, one of five ACC teams in the top 25, is ranked in the top 12 to start the spring for the seventh time in the last eight years and in the top 15 for the 13th straight year.
The Hurricanes are coming off a 21-6 (12-2 ACC) showing in 2015-16, reaching the Sweet 16 for the 11th consecutive year and finishing in the top 15 for the 13th straight season. Miami ended the campaign ranked No. 10, its eighth top-10 finish in the past 11 years.
Individually, Sinead Lohan, at sixth nationally, is the second-highest ranked player in the ACC and the second-highest ranked junior in the country. Lohan, who went 11-3 in the fall with six wins over top-45 opponents, is ranked in the top 10 for the 13th straight time, a streak that dates back to the opening 2016 rankings. She was fifth in the nation this past fall.
Along with Lohan, redshirt senior Maci Epstein is ranked No. 69 in singles and freshman Estela Perez-Somarriba is ranked No. 70. Of the 56 players who are now ranked but were not in the fall, they are both among the top 20 on the list.
For Epstein, who went 10-6 in the fall and reached the semifinals at the ITA Southeast Regional Championships, the No. 69 mark is the best of her collegiate career. Her prior top mark came in 2014-15 when she peaked at No. 102 nationally.
Just 11 freshmen in the country are ranked higher than Perez-Somarriba, including just four in the ACC. The Madrid native posted a 7-3 mark in the fall to begin her career at Miami.
The Hurricanes are one of 12 teams, including one of three in the ACC, with at least three ranked singles players. There are just nine teams, with two hailing from the ACC, that have at least three singles players in the top 70.
Miami also has one doubles pair in the rankings, as Lohan and freshman Dominika Paterova earned the No. 47 spot on the list. This is the first ITA ranking achievement of Paterova’s career and it is the second-highest Lohan has been ranked in doubles as a collegian.
In the ITA Southeast Region rankings, Lohan is atop the list in singles, followed by Epstein at No. 13, Perez-Somarriba at No. 14 and sophomore Ana Madcur at No. 20. In doubles, Lohan and Paterova are ranked fifth.
The Hurricanes will begin the 2017 season Jan. 20-22 when they host the Miami Spring Invite at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. Ninth-ranked Vanderbilt, No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 20 Kentucky will also be playing in the event.
“The mindset has been set, expectations discussed,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Now, it’s time to simply outwork that kid on the other side of the net.”
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
