Miami Earns 4-3 Win Over Syracuse to Open ACC Play

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team (2-4) kicked off ACC season with a four-hour 4-3 victory over the Syracuse Orange (7-3) on Friday evening at the Drumlins Country Club.

The Hurricanes battled from being down to take the doubles point, before going wire-to-wire to claim three singles wins.

Alexa Noel, who made her season debut, and Maria Paula Vargas took the 6-3 win over Shiori Ito and Anastasia Sysoeva on court two, before Syracuse’s Monika Wojcik and Serafima Shastova defeated freshmen Jaquelyn Ogunwale and Aely Arai, 6-3, on court three.

Coming back from a 4-2 deficit, juniors Xinyi Nong and Raquel Gonzalez clinched the opening point, 7-5, over Nelly Knezkova and Miyuka Mia at the top court.

The Orange struck first in singles to tie it after a 6-1, 6-2 win from Wojcik over freshman Daria Volosova on court six.

Arai then picked up the 6-3, 6-2 win on court four against Shastova, followed by Noel taking the lead back for Miami at the top court, after coming back from a 5-0 deficit in the second set to win it 6-0, 7-5 against Kimoto.

Syracuse’s Knezkova then earned the 6-4, 6-3 victory against Ogunwale at the No. 2 spot to put the Orange within one, before No. 78 Gonzalez fell 6-7, 6-3, 5-7 to Sysoeva to tie the match on court three.

Coming down to the last court, Nong battled back after dropping set two to clinch the Miami win after a 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 victory over Shiori on court five.

The Hurricanes are back on the court March 2 when they travel to Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.