@CanesWTennis Rolls Past Florida State, 4-1
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team opened ACC play in stellar fashion Tuesday at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center, posting a 4-1 victory over in-state rival Florida State.
With the victory, No. 21 Miami (2-2, 1-0 ACC) moved to 34-6 all-time against the Seminoles, including 15-1 at home.
“We had come from two losses and I think the girls really felt like this was a big match for them, not only because it’s FSU but because they needed to start feeling good about themselves,” Miami associate head coach Laura Vallverdu said. “It just was good. We didn’t play awesome tennis . . . but they just kind of started building a little bit more of better competition among themselves.”
Florida State (6-2, 0-1 ACC) got on the board first by picking up the doubles point. Andrea Garcia and Julia Mikulski downed Miami’s freshman duo of Dominika Paterova and Estela Perez-Somarriba, 6-1. That was followed by a 6-2 win by Nandini Das and Ariana Rahmanparast over redshirt senior Maci Epstein and sophomore Ana Madcur.
Junior Sinead Lohan and sophomore Clara Tanielian held a 5-4 edge on Gabriella Castaneda and Daniela Schippers when play was halted.
“We wanted to turn the momentum first. Obviously, the doubles point is important, but we aren’t really too worried [about that],” Vallverdu said of the mentality entering singles play. “. . . When [head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews] got them together she was really just talking about—just what we always say, which is don’t worry too much about what happens, whether you win or lose. We just need to take control on the scoreboard at the beginning, as usual.”
No. 100 Epstein evened the score with a dominant 6-4, 6-0 triumph against Das, winning each of the final eight games to register her first dual match singles win as a Hurricane.
Sixth-ranked Lohan followed suit moments later with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Castaneda. The Waterford, Ireland, native won 10 of the final 12 games and had her serve broken just once.
No. 94 Perez-Somarriba increased Miami’s advantage to 3-1 after wrapping up a 6-3, 6-3 win versus Mikulski.
Paterova then recorded the first dual match victory of her career, clinching the win for the Hurricanes by taking down Rahmanparast, 6-4, 6-3.
When play was stopped, Madcur trailed Schippers, 4-6, 4-0, while junior Silvia Fuentes’ match with Garcia was even at one set apiece, 6-1, 4-6.
Up next for the Hurricanes is a trip to Columbus, Ohio, for a pair of matches against top-10 opponents. Miami faces No. 10 Baylor Friday at noon and then meets second-ranked Ohio State the following day at the same time.
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
RESULTS
Doubles Competition
1. Andrea Garcia/Julia Mikulski (FS) def. Dominika Paterova/Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM), 6-1
2. Nandini Das/Ariana Rahmanparast (FS) def. Maci Epstein/Ana Madcur (UM), 6-2
3. Sinead Lohan/Clara Tanielian (UM) vs. Gabriella Castaneda/Daniela Schippers (FS), 5-4, unfinished
Singles Competition
1. No. 6 Sinead Lohan (UM) def. Gabriella Castaneda (FS), 6-3, 6-1
2. No. 100 Maci Epstein (UM) def. Nandini Das (FS), 6-4, 6-0
3. No. 94 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. Julia Mikulski (FS), 6-3, 6-3
4. Daniela Schippers (FS) vs. Ana Madcur (UM), 6-4, 0-4, unfinished
5. Dominika Paterova (UM) def. Ariana Rahmanparast (FS), 6-4, 6-3
6. Silvia Fuentes (UM) vs. Andrea Garcia (FS), 6-1, 4-6, unfinished
