Michigan
Michigan State
Wolverines Earn Third Straight Outright Big Ten Championship
4/19/2025 3:02:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: #3 Michigan 4, Michigan State 0
Records: U-M (21-3, 13-0 Big Ten), MSU (13-11, 5-8 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Thu-Sat., April 24-26 -- at Big Ten Tournament (Ojai, Calif.)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team clinched its third straight outright Big Ten championship after defeating Michigan State, 4-0, on Saturday (April 19) at the Varsity Tennis Center. With the win, U-M finished its regular season a perfect 11-0 at the Varsity Tennis Center.
The Maize and Blue had previously clinched at least a share of the title with a 4-1 win over No. 17-ranked Washington on April 13 at the Varsity Tennis Center. The championship marks Michigan's 13th in program history, moving up to No. 2 in Big Ten history. It is title No. 12 for head coach Ronni Bernstein, ranking third all-time in Big Ten history.
Michigan struck first, taking the doubles point behind wins at No. 1 and No. 2. U-M used big leads on both courts to take the wins.
At No. 1, Lily Jones and Jessica Bernales won the first four games to grab control. The teams traded serve the rest of the way as U-M took a 6-2 victory at the top of the lineup.
Michigan's No. 2 pair of Julia Fliegner and Reese Miller clinched the point for the Wolverines, taking a 6-2 win. Much like the Wolverines pair at No. 1, Miller and Fliegner won the first two games and never gave the break back in the 6-2 victory.
U-M won five first sets in singles action, keeping the Spartans from grabbing any momentum in the team match.
Piper Charney was first off court for the Wolverines, converting her fourth match point in a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 2. Charney won the final four games of the first set and broke early in the second set to record the straight-set victory.
Fliegner followed a few moments later for a 3-0 Michigan lead, winning 6-0, 6-4 at the top of the lineup. Fliegner won the first seven games of the match before MSU got on the board. Fliegner broke for a 5-3 lead but was unable to consolidate the break in the ensuing game. She immediately responded with a break of her own, sealing the straight-set win.
Miller put the fourth point on the board for the Maize and Blue behind a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 5. After breezing to the first-set win, Miller got the break she needed at 4-3 and consolidated it in the next game. She broke again in the final game, winning the final four games of the second set to clinch the match for the Wolverines.
U-M will now travel to Ojai, Calif., for the upcoming 2025 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 1 seed.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 3 Julia Fliegner (U-M) d. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU), 6-0, 6-4
No. 2 -- No. 34 Piper Charney (U-M) d. Ellie Blackford (MSU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 -- No. 40 Lily Jones (U-M) vs. Amara Brahmbhatt (MSU), 6-4, 6-5 abandoned
No. 4 -- No. 80 Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M) vs. Matilde Morais (MSU), 6-3, 3-2 abandoned
No. 5 -- Reese Miller (U-M) d. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU), 6-1, 6-3
No. 6 -- Jessica Bernales (U-M) vs. Iseey Purser (MSU), 3-6, 6-2 abandoned
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 27 Lily Jones/Jessica Bernales (U-M) d. Ellie Blackford/Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU), 6-2
No. 2 -- No. 69 Julia Fliegner/Reese Miller (U-M) d. Hanna Tsitavets/Issey Purser (MSU), 6-2
No. 3 -- Piper Charney/Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M) vs. Amara Brahmbhatt/Matilde Morais (MSU), 4-3 abandoned
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-2; Singles 2-1-5
Players Mentioned
