Wolverines to Return to VTC to Host ITA Kickoff

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team (1-1) returns to the Varsity Tennis Center to host the ITA Kickoff this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 26-27) with a berth to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship on the line. Admission to all matches is free.

ITA Kickoff Schedule

Friday, Jan. 26
No. 4 Michigan vs. Utah, 10 a.m.
Purdue vs. Arkansas, 1 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 27
Winner of match one vs. winner of match two, 3:30 p.m.
Loser of match one vs. loser of match two, 6:30 p.m.

Notes

• Michigan returns home to the Varsity Tennis Center to host the ITA Kickoff for the first time since 2020, welcoming Purdue (3-0), Utah (2-0) and Arkansas (2-0) to Ann Arbor. Michigan hosted a pair of tournaments during that portion of the season, with this weekend serving as the first home dual-match play of the season.

• The No. 1-seeded team (Michigan) at each site will face the No. 4 team (Utah). The No. 2 team (Arkansas) will face the No. 3 team (Purdue). Two matches are guaranteed -- the winners/losers will play the following day. The 15 schools that win both of their matches at these events will be invited to play in the Feb. 9-12 ITA National Team Indoor Championship at Washington.

• Michigan is looking for its 12th berth in the last 15 seasons to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. U-M went 2-1 at the national event last season, getting wins over Ohio State and Virginia.

• The Michigan men's tennis team also is hosting the ITA Kickoff this weekend, marking the first time both the men's and women's programs have hosted in the same year. U-M is one of eight schools to be a dual-gender site this weekend.

• Michigan and Utah are meeting for the first time in program history this weekend. U-M has only faced Arkansas one time, a 5-2 Michigan win in the 2010 ITA Kickoff in Fayetteville. The Wolverines are 48-12 all-time against Purdue. Each of the three teams has one ranked singles player.

• The Wolverines are coming off a 1-1 weekend in Oklahoma, getting a 4-3 win at No. 13 Oklahoma and dropping a 4-2 match at No. 5 Oklahoma State. Julia Fliegner went 2-0 at No. 2 singles over the two matches, highlighted by a win over the No. 2-ranked singles player in the country.

• U-M has four ranked singles players in No. 10 Kari Miller, No. 39 Fliegner, No. 47 Lily Jones and No. 82 Gala Mesochoritou. Miller and Jaedan Brown combine to form the No. 8-ranked doubles pair and are 2-0 at No. 1 to start dual-match action. New individual rankings are slated to be released on Feb. 7.

• Michigan had three players make their dual-match debut in maize and blue last weekend. Reese Miller and Anna Ross both competed on the doubles court, with Piper Charney going 1-1 in both singles and doubles on the weekend.

• This weekend kicks off a four-match homestand for the Wolverines, who will host Virginia next Saturday (Feb. 3) and Florida on Feb. 6. Michigan went 11-0 at the Varsity Tennis Center last season.