Michigan
Penn
Michigan Shuts Out Penn in Opening Round of ITA Kickoff
1/24/2026 1:27:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Event: ITA Kickoff (Day 1 of 2)
Score: #7 Michigan 4, Penn 0
Records: U-M (1-0), Penn (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Jan. 25 -- vs. Vanderbilt/Notre Dame -- ITA Kickoff (Varsity Tennis Center), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team won the doubles point and the first three singles matches off court in a 4-0 shutout of Penn in the first round of the ITA Kickoff on Saturday (Jan. 24) at the Varsity Tennis Center. With the win, Michigan will face either Notre Dame or Vanderbilt on Sunday with a chance to advance to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship.
Michigan took the doubles point, winning matches at No. 3 and No. 2. Reese Miller and Ava Bruno went up a break early at No. 3 and kept it throughout, taking a 6-2 win at the bottom of the lineup to give Michigan the early team advantage.
The No. 2 pair of Piper Charney and Gabriella Lindgren put the point on the board for the Wolverines, winning 6-3. Charney and Lindgren broke at 5-3 and closed it out at love on Charney's serve in the next game to stake the Wolverines a 1-0 lead.
Miller and Lily Jones quickly pushed Michigan's lead to 3-0, each winning 6-0, 6-0 matches at No. 4 and No. 2, respectively. The duo held concurrent match points, with Miller finishing seconds before Jones.
In search of the fourth point, Michigan headed to third sets at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5.
Charney provided the clinching point, winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 over 89th-ranked Esha Velaga at the top of the lineup. Down 4-1 in the second set, Charney eventually got back on serve at 4-5 but could not hold her ensuing service game to head to a third. She won the first two games before Velaga got back on serve by winning the next two games. Charney got the break she needed at 3-2 and consolidated it in the next game. Charney won the final four games of the deciding set, sealing Michigan's shutout victory.
Lindgren was one point away from winning her match at No. 5, with Jessica Bernales holding a 4-0 lead in the third set at No. 4.
U-M is back in action Sunday (Jan. 25) at the Varsity Tennis Center, facing either No. 19 Vanderbilt or Notre Dame at 2 p.m.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 3 Piper Charney (U-M) d. No. 89 Esha Velaga (Penn), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
No. 2 -- No. 32 Lily Jones (U-M) d. Lara Stojanovski (Penn), 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 -- No. 85 Jessica Bernales (U-M) vs. Maya Urata (Penn), 6-1, 6-7 (3), 3-0 abandoned
No. 4 -- No. 80 Reese Miller (U-M) d. Liza Tkachenko (Penn), 6-0, 6-0
No. 5 -- Gabriella Lindgren (U-M) vs. Joleen Saw (Penn), 2-6, 6-2, 5-3 abandoned
No. 6 -- Laura Rahnel (U-M) vs. Varsha Vedula (Penn), 6-4, 4-6, 1-1 abandoned
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 43 Jessica Bernales/Lily Jones (U-M) vs. Esha Velaga/Joleen Saw (Penn), 5-3 abandoned
No. 2 -- Piper Charney/Gabriella Lindgren (U-M) d. Lara Stojanovski/Sasha Morlagh (Penn), 6-3
No. 3 -- Reese Miller/Ava Bruno (U-M) d. Maya Urata/Liza Tkachenko (Penn), 6-2
Order of completion: Doubles 3-2, Singles 4-2-1
Players Mentioned
