Michigan Hosts Kansas to Begin Dual-Match Play

Sunday, January 21

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Noon

Michigan

Kansas

1/17/2018 12:28:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Sarah VanMetre

» The No. 10-ranked Wolverines open a four-match homestand to begin the dual-match portion of the season when they host Kansas on Sunday (Jan. 21) at noon.
» Michigan features a pair of ranked singles players in No. 33 Kate Fahey and No. 74 Chiara Lommer.
» U-M went 13-0 last season at the Varsity Tennis Center and is 115-10 at home under 11th-year head coach Ronni Bernstein.

THIS WEEK
Sunday, Jan. 21 -- vs. Kansas (Varsity Tennis Center), noon

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• Live Scoring/Video

The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis teams kicks off dual-match action on Sunday (Jan. 21), when they host Kansas at the Varsity Tennis Center at noon. Admission is free to all matches at the VTC.

NCAA RULES

Each team match will be a contest for the best of seven team points. Doubles action will begin immediately with no warmup, so fans are encouraged to arrive on time for matches. Each doubles match will be one set to six, with a tiebreaker occurring at 6-all. The team that wins two-of-three matches will secure the doubles point. Following a five-minute intermission, singles action will begin with each match worth one point towards the team score. There will be no-ad scoring in both singles and doubles action. In addition, there is to be no noise made between first and second serves this season as part of new ITA sportsmanship guidelines.

WOLVERINE BITES

• Michigan begins the season ranked No. 10 by the ITA after reaching the Round of 16 in last season's NCAA Tournament. U-M's schedule features six top-25 teams in No. 5 North Carolina, No. 9 Duke, No. 12 Texas, No. 13 Ohio State and No. 20 Baylor. U-M also could face more ranked competition if it qualifies for the ITA National Team Indoor Championship.

• The Wolverines bring back a pair of ITA All-Americans (singles) in juniors Kate Fahey and Brienne Minor. Fahey reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championship last season, with Minor winning the first national championship in program history. Minor also earned doubles All-America honors alongside senior Mira Ruder-Hook in 2016.

• Kate Fahey (No. 33) and sophomore Chiara Lommer (No. 74) are the two Wolverines in the singles rankings heading into dual-match play. The next individual rankings will be released Feb. 7.

• U-M's match against Kansas marks the first time since the 2011-12 season that the Wolverines will play a dual match before the ITA Kick-Off. The last time U-M played a match prior to the ITA Kick-Off weekend was a 7-0 win over Western Michigan on Jan. 22, 2012.

• Michigan's roster features a pair of freshmen in Bella Lorenzini and Alyvia Jones. Lorenzini put together a 7-3 record during the tournament portion of the season after a 3-0 mark at the Michigan Invitational. Jones joined the Wolverines prior to the start of the winter semester and went 3-0 at the Michigan Invite in her first collegiate action.

• The Wolverines wrapped up their final tournament action last weekend (Jan. 13-15), when they hosted the Michigan Invitational. U-M won 16 singles matches on the weekend, highlighted by 3-0 weekends from Kate Fahey, Alyvia Jones, Lera Patiuk and Bella Lorenzini.

• Kansas (no record) comes to Ann Arbor with four ranked singles players in No. 1 Anastasia Rychagova, No. 90 Janet Koch, No. 94 Despoina Vogasari and No. 112 Nina Khmelnitckaia. It is just the third meeting between the two teams, with the series tied at 1.

• The Wolverines went 13-0 at the Varsity Tennis Center last season and start this season with four straight at home, including the ITA Kick-Off next weekend (Jan. 27-28). U-M will then play at least 11 straight matches away from home, with the possibility of more if the Wolverines qualify for the ITA National Team Indoor Championship.

• Head coach Ronni Bernstein is entering her 11th season in Ann Arbor, going 223-61 (.785) with the Wolverines. Associate head coach Teryn Ashley-Fitch is in her 12th season as the duo has been together for the last 11 years.

• The Wolverines are back in home action next weekend (Jan. 27-28), when they host Gonzaga, Brown and Tulsa in the ITA Kick-Off. Each team is guaranteed two matches, and the team that goes 2-0 will qualify for the ITA National Team Indoor Championship (Feb. 9-12) in Madison, Wisconsin.