Michigan
Penn State
Michigan Stays Hot, Shuts Out Penn State
4/15/2023 3:04:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: #6 Michigan 4, Penn State 0
Records: U-M (18-3, 10-0 B1G), PSU (11-11, 3-5 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 16 -- vs. Ohio State (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team ran its winning streak to seven and reached 10 Big Ten wins for the 14th time in program history, shutting out Penn State 4-0 on Saturday afternoon (April 15) at the Varsity Tennis Center.
U-M wrested control of the match early, winning the doubles point with victories at No. 2 and No. 1.
At No. 2, Lily Jones and Julia Fliegner won their fifth straight match in a 6-3 triumph. The Wolverine duo came out of the gates strong, winning the first four games en route to the victory.
Andrea Cerdan and Jaedan Brown made the most of an opportune break to clinch the doubles point behind a 6-4 win. The match stayed on serve over the first nine games as U-M held a 5-4 lead with Penn State back to serve. Brown and Cerdan broke the Penn State pair at love, pushing Michigan ahead 1-0 in the early stages of the match.
The teams split the six first sets, with Michigan taking wins at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5.
Jones wasted little time increasing Michigan's lead to 2-0, dropping just three games in a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 5. She used quick starts in both sets to get separation, moving to 7-0 in Big Ten action.
Cerdan put Michigan on the brink of the team win, dominating in a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 4. She cashed in on her third match point, getting her 25th overall singles win of the season in straight sets.
It looked like Michigan was going to have to win a third set to put its fourth point on the board as Fliegner went down a break to start the second set and was down 5-3 at No. 3. Brown, Kari Miller and Nicole Hammond were each in the process of winning their second sets to force third sets on the remaining three courts.
Fliegner went to work from there, winning the final four games of her second set to put the fourth point up with a 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 3. Fliegner fell in a 2-0 hole to start her second and could not get the set back on serve. After she held at love to pull within 5-4, she used a fast start in the next game to get the break back at 5-5. She once again held at love for a 6-5 lead before breaking Ioana Gheorghita again in the next game to complete the straight-set win.
Michigan wraps up the regular season Sunday (April 16) at noon hosting No. 7-ranked Ohio State at the Varsity Tennis Center. Fans are encouraged to wear blue for a Blue Out match.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 23 Jaedan Brown (U-M) vs. Sofiya Chekhlystova (PSU), 6-7 (5), 3-2 abandoned
No. 2 -- No. 47 Kari Miller (U-M) vs. Yvonne Zuffova (PSU), 4-6, 6-2, 2-0 abandoned
No. 3 -- No. 45 Julia Fliegner (U-M) d. Ioana Gheorghita (PSU), 6-4, 7-5
No. 4 -- Andrea Cerdan (U-M) d. Carla Girbau (PSU), 6-0, 6-2
No. 5 -- No. 67 Lily Jones (U-M) d. Olivia Dorner (PSU), 6-1, 6-2
No. 6 -- Nicole Hammond (U-M) vs. Karly Friedland (PSU), 3-6, 7-6 (5) abandoned
Doubles
No. 1 -- Jaedan Brown/Andrea Cerdan (U-M) d. Sofiya Chekhlystova/Carla Girbau (PSU), 6-4
No. 2 --No. 78 Lily Jones/Julia Fliegner (U-M) d. Karly Friedland/Alexandra Nielsen (PSU), 6-3
No. 3 -- Merri Kelly/Kari Miller (U-M) vs. Ioana Gheorghita/ Alina Lebedeva (PSU), 4-2 abandoned
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-1, Singles 5-4-3
Players Mentioned
