Notes and Quotes: #20 Michigan 6, Minnesota 1
3/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 25, 2012
N O T E S
• With today's win, Michigan improved to 24-15 in the all-time series against Minnesota. The Wolverines have won nine straight in the series.
• The Wolverines' victory snapped Minnesota's nine-match win streak.
• Freshman Emina Bektas extended her win streak to four straight matches, while freshman Sarah Lee and sophomore Brooke Bolender have both won three in a row.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Ronni Bernstein
On today's win ... "Minnesota came in on a roll, so we knew we were playing a confident team. I told the girls before the match that we needed to jump on them early and get that doubles point, which was huge. I'm really happy to come out on top in this one, because I think Minnesota is a much-improved team this year."
On the Wolverine freshmen ... "They're a confident group, and they're very experienced. They were some of the top recruits in the country, so we knew we were bringing in a pretty good class. They're all about the team; it's not about individual results. They've all contributed, so that's been great to see. We knew they would need to step up for us, and they've done a great job."
On sophomore Brooke Bolender ... "She is starting to figure out how to play the way she should be playing, where she's working the point and trying to get inside the court. Sometimes she will get a little too offensive and go for shot too early or get too defensive and kind of keep the ball in play. We're trying to get her a little more balanced, where she is creating her opportunities to move forward. So, it's a little bit of a change for her, and she's starting to really figure that out. She'll get more confidence as the matches go. She's done quite well over the last few matches."
On the competitiveness of the Big Ten ... "It's great for us, because we want to play good teams. It was great to have Minnesota in here; they're having a nice year. We want to be challenged. You don't want to just breeze through. You want to be pushed, because that's what is going to make you better at the end. As the competition gets tougher, you need to be match tough. Minnesota definitely pushed us today, and it was good to see the girls pull through in a couple third sets."
U-M Sophomore Brooke Bolender
On making changes to her game ... "It's been a challenge, but I think, over the last couple of weeks, I've seen what it looks like. Whether or not I do that for a complete match has been a different story. I just had to trust it. I knew in my head what it was supposed to look like, but I couldn't actually do it. It's starting to make sense, and it's exciting to see that I can do it. I like the challenge. It will help me focus, and I can definitely see that, in the long run, it will be better for my game."
On her win today ... "I wasn't easy. I was up in the first set and playing well -- playing the game I wanted to play -- and I backed off a little. That let her back into the game, which wasn't what I wanted. But I closed it out. It was nice that the team had already clinched, which took a little pressure off my match."
U-M Senior Michelle Sulahian
On Big Ten play ... "You can't overlook anybody. Minnesota was tough. It was a 6-1 win, but we had to really gut it out. We need to be prepared for every match to be like that. No team will be easy."
On her role as captain ... "Hopefully, I can be whatever helps them the most. I'm trying to lead by example and show them how it's done. There are so many new players, and they're still working to get the hang of it. So, along with Mimi (Nguyen) and the other experienced players, I just want to help prepare them. Personally, I just need to be ready to play every match, stay mentally prepared and know that every match counts."
