@CanesWTennis to Face Two Top-10 Teams in Ohio
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team is set for a trip to Columbus, Ohio, for a pair of matches against stiff competition to close out non-conference play.
Miami (2-2, 1-0 ACC) will take on No. 10 Baylor Friday and second-ranked Ohio State Saturday, with both matches scheduled for noon at the Varsity Tennis Center.
The Hurricanes, under the direction of 16th-year head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews, enter the weekend with a trio of ranked singles players and one ranked doubles pair.
Junior Sinead Lohan places seventh in singles and is followed by freshman Estela Perez-Somarriba at No. 76 and redshirt senior Maci Epstein at No. 97. In doubles, Lohan and freshman Dominika Paterova team up in the No. 48 spot.
Miami is 7-7 all-time against Baylor, including 2-1 at neutral sites and 3-1 in the last four completed matches. Last season’s match on Feb. 15, 2016 in Coral Gables was suspended due to weather with the Hurricanes holding a 1-0 lead. This will be the 11th straight year Miami faces the Lady Bears.
Baylor (6-1) features two players in the ITA singles rankings, including Blair Shankle at No. 14 nationally. She is joined by Rhiann Newborn at No. 105 on the list. In doubles, Shankle pairs with Elizabeth Profit to form the No. 18 duo in the country.
Miami holds a 6-1 lead in the all-time series against Ohio State and this will be the first time the teams square off in Columbus. Last year, the Hurricanes took down the then-second-ranked Buckeyes, 4-2, on March 16, 2016 at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
Ohio State (9-1) features seven nationally-ranked singles players, including Francesca Di Lorenzo, who holds the top spot in the country. Also on the list are No. 42 Miho Kowase, No. 53 Anna Sanford, No. 57 Gabriella De Santis, No. 84 Sandy Niehaus, No. 117 Olivia Sneed and No. 120 Ferny Angeles Paz.
Di Lorenzo and Kowase are ranked No. 26 in doubles, while De Santis and Niehaus check in at No. 47.
Live stats and live video for the Hurricanes’ matches against both the Lady Bears and the Buckeyes can be found HERE.
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
