@CanesWTennis Opens NCAA Championship against USF
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team is set to begin NCAA Team Championship play Saturday morning versus USF.
No. 28 Miami (12-11, 8-6 ACC) will face the Bulls at 9 a.m., at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, Fla. The match between the Hurricanes, who are seeded No. 17-32, and USF, seeded No. 33-48, was moved up one hour from its initial scheduled start time due to potential rain.
Making its 32nd NCAA appearance in the 36-year history of the tournament, Miami holds a 50-31 all-time record, including a 26-5 mark in the state of Florida, with a 3-4 ledger in Gainesville.
The Hurricanes, in the field for the 22nd season in a row, have made 11 consecutive Sweet 16 trips. They have won at least one match in the field each of the past 15 years, a streak that dates back to head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews‘ first season at the helm.
Miami is 41-3 all-time against USF, good for its most wins versus any opponent. The Hurricanes have won the last seven matches in the series and took the most recent contest, 5-2, on Jan. 29, 2012 in Coral Gables.
The teams have squared off twice in NCAA play, with Miami earning a 4-0 home win in the second round in 2010 and a 5-4 neutral site triumph in the opening round in 1997.
The Hurricanes have a pair of nationally-ranked singles players, with junior Sinead Lohan at No. 21 and freshman Estela Perez-Somarriba at No. 40. Both players were First Team All-ACC picks and will compete in the NCAA Singles Championship.
In doubles, Lohan teams up with redshirt senior Maci Epstein to form the No. 74 duo in the ITA’s rankings.
USF enters NCAA Team Championship play with a 15-10 (7-2 AAC) record. The Bulls, who do not have any ranked singles players or doubles pairs, are riding a six-match winning streak.
The winner of Saturday morning’s contest will play the following day at 1 p.m., in the second round against either top-ranked and top-seeded Florida or versus UMass, seeded No. 49-64.
Live stats for the Hurricanes’ matchup with the Bulls can both 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.
