Michigan
Arkansas
Wolverines Blank Arkansas to Punch Ticket to ITA Indoors
1/27/2024 6:20:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Event: ITA Kick-Off (Day 2 of 2)
Score: #5 Michigan 4, Arkansas 0
Records: U-M (3-1), UA (3-1)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 3 -- vs. Virginia (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team punched its ticket to the ITA National Indoor Team Championship by shutting out Arkansas 4-0 in the championship match of the ITA Kick-Off on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 27) at the Varsity Tennis Center. It marks Michigan's second straight appearance at the national event, to be held Feb. 9-12 in Seattle, Wash.
Michigan took the early lead, winning the doubles point behind victories at No. 2 and No. 3. It was all Michigan at the No. 2 spot as Anna Ross and Lily Jones dropped just one game in a 6-1 win to take the early advantage.
Arkansas evened the ledger with a 6-4 win at the top spot, turning attention to the match at No. 3.
U-M's freshman duo of Piper Charney and Reese Miller went up a break at 3-1, keeping it the rest of the way. When the match at No. 1 ended, the Wolverines grabbed a pair of match points on Arkansas' serve but could not convert. With Charney back to serve for the match, U-M ripped off four straight points -- the first three coming via Reese Miller at the net. The match was sealed when the service return went wide, giving U-M the 6-4 win and a 1-0 team lead.
Michigan's lead increased to 2-0 when Gala Mesochoritou's opponent retired just five games in, with Mesochoritou holding a 4-1 lead.
The Wolverines won the remaining five first sets, capped by a 7-4 tiebreak win for Jaedan Brown at No. 4.
It was a race to the finish from there as Kari Miller and Charney held concurrent match points at No. 1 and No. 5, respectively.
Kari Miller accounted for Michigan's third point, recording a 6-2, 6-1 win over No. 59-ranked Carolina Gomez Alsonso at the top spot. She won the first four games of the first set, coasting to the 6-2 win. In the second, she again used a fast start and converted her first match point in a 6-1 victory.
Charney followed moments later with a 6-1, 6-2 win right beside Kari Miller at No. 5. Charney dropped just one game in the first set, getting the 6-1 win. In the second set, Charney broke at love for a 4-2 lead. She consolidated the break at love in the next game, grabbing a 5-2 lead. She broke Morgan Cross yet again in the final game, clinching the match for Michigan.
U-M returns to action next Saturday (Feb. 3), hosting Virginia at noon at the Varity Tennis Center.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 10 Kari Miller (U-M) d. No. 59 Carolina Gomez Alsonso (Arkansas), 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 -- No. 39 Julia Fliegner (U-M) vs. Kelly Keller (Arkansas), 6-1, 4-4 abandoned
No. 3 -- No. 82 Gala Mesochoritou (U-M) d. Indianna Spink (Arkansas), 4-1 retired
No. 4 -- Jaedan Brown (U-M) vs. Lenka Stara (Arkansas), 7-6 (4), 1-0 abandoned
No. 5 -- Piper Charney (U-M) d. Morgan Cross (Arkansas), 6-1, 6-2
No. 6 -- No. 47 Lily Jones (U-M) vs. Kacie Harvey (Arkansas), 6-2, 4-3 abandoned
Doubles
No. 1 -- Indianna Spink/Morgan Cross (Arkansas) d. No. 8 Jaedan Brown/Kari Miller (U-M), 6-4
No. 2 -- Anna Ross/Lily Jones (U-M) d. Grace O'Donnell/Lenka Stara (Arkansas), 6-1
No. 3 -- Reese Miller/Piper Charney (U-M) d. Kelly Keller/Carolina Gomez Alsonso (Arkansas), 6-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-1-3, Singles 4-1-5
Players Mentioned
