Michigan
USC
Michigan Stumbles Against Visiting No. 17 USC
2/18/2024 4:23:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: #17 USC 4, #2 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (8-3), USC (7-3)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Feb. 22 -- vs. NC State (Varsity Tennis Center), 5 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team fell 4-2 to No. 17 USC on Sunday (Feb. 18) at the Varsity Tennis Center.
The Trojans took control early, clinching the doubles point with wins at the Nos. 2 and 3 positions.
U-M evened the match to open singles play, with No. 57 Lily Jones earning a 6-2, 6-2 victory over No. 103 Grace Piper. USC kept the pressure up and took a 2-1 lead with a 6-3, 6-3 win by No. 95 Eryn Cayetano.
Bayley Sheinin fell short in the first set at the No. 6 position but bounced back to go up 5-2 in the second. Lily Fairclough came back to tie it 5-5, going up 6-5 before Sheinin evened the set once again and forced a tiebreak. Sheinin dropped the set 6-3, 7-6(1) to give the Trojans a 3-1 match lead.
No. 9 Kari Miller started off strong with a commanding 6-2 victory in the first set, but went down 4-3 in the second. She tied it back up at 4-all but dropped the set 6-4 to split the first two, forcing a third set. The senior was able to rebound, going up 4-0 before eventually winning 6-2.
The Wolverines needed to win on the two remaining courts to come away with the win, and trailing USC 3-2.
No. 18 Julia Fliegner won her first set, tying it 3-3 before trading games and earning the 7-5 win. The junior went up 4-3 in the second, but wins in three straight games from No. 90 Naomi Cheong gave the Trojans a 6-4 win to split court three. Fliegner fought back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the third set 3-3, but USC took the set 6-3 to clinch the match.
Michigan continues its three-match homestand on Thursday (Feb. 22), hosting NC State at 5 p.m. at the VTC in a rematch of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship semifinals.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 9 Kari Miller (U-M) def. No. 52 Snow Han (USC), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
No. 2 -- No. 124 Gala Mesochoritou (U-M) vs. No. 20 Emma Charney (USC), 5-7, 7-6(5), 2-1 abandoned
No. 3 -- No. 103 Grace Piper (USC) def. No. 18 Julia Fliegner (U-M), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
No. 4 -- No. 57 Lily Jones (U-M) def. No. 90 Naomi Cheong (USC), 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 -- No. 95 Eryn Cayetano (USC) def. Piper Charney (U-M), 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 -- Lily Fairclough (USC) def. Bailey Sheinin (U-M), 6-3, 7-6(1)
Doubles
No. 1 – Anna Ross/Kari Miller (U-M) vs. Eryn Cayetano/Emma Charney (USC), 4-2 abandoned
No. 2 -- Lily Fairclough/McKenna Koenig (USC) def. Reese Miller/Piper Charney (U-M), 6-4
No. 3 -- Parker Fry/Grace Piper (USC) def. Julia Fliegner/Lily Jones (U-M), 6-3
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2, Singles 4-5-6-1-3
Players Mentioned
