Michigan
Virginia
Wolverines Knock off No. 11 Virginia, Advance to ITA Indoors Semis
2/10/2024 5:02:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Seattle, Wash. (Nordstrom Tennis Center)
Event: ITA National Team Indoor Championship
Score: #5 Michigan 4, #11 Virginia 1
Records: U-M (7-1), UVA (7-2)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 11 -- vs. NC State -- ITA National Team Indoor Championship (Seattle, Wash.), Noon PST
SEATTLE, Wash. -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team punched its ticket to the semifinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship for the first time in program history, dispatching of No. 11 Virginia 4-1 for the second time in seven days on Saturday (Feb. 10) at the Nordstrom Tennis Center.
U-M struck first, taking the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3. At the top spot, Jaedan Brown and Kari Miller got the break they needed at 3-2 and consolidated in the next game on Miller's serve. It was all Michigan from there as the Wolverines did not drop another game in a 6-2 win.
The freshman duo of Piper Charney and Reese Miller put the finishing touches on the doubles point, getting a 6-3 win at No. 3. It was all Michigan early as they pair jumped out to a 5-1 lead. U-M had two match points in each of the ensuing two games but could not convert. The Wolverines converted on their fifth chance, breaking Virginia for the 6-3 win.
In singles action, the team split the first sets as Virginia won the top three spots and Michigan took the first sets at No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6.
Gala Mesochoritou pushed Michigan's lead to 2-0 behind a 6-4, 6-1 at No. 4. She used a late break in the first set to get the win and carried that momentum into the second set, taking the 6-1 win to wrap up her second win of the tournament.
Lily Jones also moved to 2-0 in singles action at the tournament, extending Michigan's lead to 3-0 with a 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory at No. 5. Jones grinded out the tiebreak win in the first, one of three first-set tiebreakers across the six matches. She dropped just two games in the second set, getting off the court in straight sets to keep the scoreboard pressure on Virginia.
Virginia got a point back with a win at the top spot.
Michigan had a first set in hand at No. 6, with Virginia winning first sets at No. 2 and No. 3 as the path to victory came into focus.
Brown did the honors for the Maize and Blue, rallying from a 6-1 first-set loss to record a pair of 6-2 wins to follow at No. 3. Brown never found her groove in the first set but quickly put that behind her to get the split and head to a third set. She won four of the first five games in the deciding set and never looked back to put Michigan's fourth point on the board.
U-M will face NC State in the semifinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship on Sunday (Feb. 11) at noon PST.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 41 Hibah Shaikh (Virginia) d. No. 9 Kari Miller (U-M), 6-3, 6-4
No. 2 -- No. 18 Julia Fliegner (U-M) vs. No. 101 Annabelle Xu (Virginia), 6-7 (5), 4-4 abandoned
No. 3 -- Jaedan Brown (U-M) d. No. 72 Sara Ziodato (Virginia), 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 -- No. 124 Gala Mesochoritou (U-M) d. Natasha Subhash (Virginia), 6-4, 6-1
No. 5 -- No. 57 Lily Jones (U-M) d. Elaine Chervinsky (Virginia), 7-6 (2), 6-2
No. 6 -- Piper Charney (U-M) vs. No. 93 Melodie Collard (Virginia), 7-6 (4), 4-6 abandoned
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 5 Jaedan Brown/Kari Miller (U-M) d. No. 44 Melodie Collard/Elaine Chervinsky (Virginia), 6-2
No. 2 -- Anna Ross/Lily Jones (U-M), 7-6 (5) vs. No. 60 Natasha Subhash/Hibah Shaikh (Virginia), 3-5 abandoned
No. 3 -- Reese Miller/Piper Charney (U-M) d. Annabelle Xu/Sara Ziodato (Virginia), 6-3
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3, Singles 4-5-1-3
Players Mentioned
