Michigan
NC State
Strong Singles Play Pushes Michigan Past NC State in Top-Five Match
2/22/2024 8:37:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: #2 Michigan 4, #5 NC State 1
Records: U-M (9-3), NCSU (8-2)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 23 -- vs. Columbia (Varsity Tennis Center), 5 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team rallied after dropping the doubles point, winning the first four singles matches to finish in a 4-1 win over No. 5-ranked NC State on Thursday evening (Feb. 22) at the Varsity Tennis Center. With the win, U-M improved to 2-0 this season against the Wolfpack.
NC State struck first, taking the doubles point behind wins at No. 3 and No. 2.
Michigan came out swinging in singles action, winning three quick first sets from Piper Charney (6-0) at No. 5, Lily Jones (6-3) at No. 6 and Gala Mesochoritou (6-2) at No. 3 to keep the pressure on NC State. Julia Fliegner eventually captured Michigan's fourth first set behind a 7-5 win at No. 2 after fighting off a set point.
Charney pulled the Wolverines level at 1-1 behind a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 5. After not dropping a game in the first set, Charney went down a break at 2-1 in the beginning stages of the second. She immediately got the break back and did not look back in the straight-set win.
Jones gave Michigan its first lead of the evening, one the Wolverines never gave back. After using an early break in the first set for the win, Jones broke at love for a 5-3 lead and served out the match in the ensuing game for a 2-1 U-M lead.
With Michigan leading 2-1, Kari Miller and Jaedan Brown were in second sets after dropping their first sets. Brown was down 3-0 in her second set at No. 4, with Miller facing a 4-2 deficit. Both Wolverines came back to win and force third sets, with Brown winning 6-4 and Miller winning in a tiebreak to prevent NC State a path for the comeback.
Mesochoritou put Michigan on the brink of victory, taking a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win at No. 4. Mesochoritou, much like Jones, used a well-timed break to get the win. She went up a break at 5-3 in the final set and converted her third match point, pushing Michigan's lead to 3-1.
With Michigan needing just one more point to secure the team win, Brown was in a third set at No. 4. She went up a break early in the final set but could not consolidate the break. Brown again went up a break at 4-3 and fought off two break points to keep the break for a 5-3 lead when Sophie Abrams' service return went long. Abrams won the first point of the next game but Brown ripped off four straight points, sealing the Michigan comeback win.
U-M completes a three-match homestand Friday (Feb. 23), hosting Columbia at 5 p.m. at the VTC.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 5 Kari Miller (U-M) vs. No. 3 Amelia Rajecki (NC State), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 1-1 abandoned
No. 2 -- No. 18 Julia Fliegner (U-M) vs. No. 30 Abigail Rencheli (NC State), 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 abandoned
No. 3 -- No. 46 Gala Mesochoritou (U-M) d. No. 27 Anna Zyryanova (NC State), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
No. 4 -- No. 111 Jaedan Brown (U-M) d. No. 44 Sophie Abrams (NC State), 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 -- No. 106 Piper Charney (U-M) d. Maddy Zampardo (NC State), 6-0, 6-2
No. 6 -- No. 64 Lily Jones (U-M) d. Gina Dittmann (NC State), 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 5 Jaedan Brown/Kari Miller (U-M) vs. No. 13 Amelia Rajecki/Maddy Zampardo (NC State), 3-5 abandoned
No. 2 -- No. 9 Anna Zyryanova/Sophie Abrams (NC State) d. Julia Fliegner/Lily Jones (U-M), 6-2
No. 3 -- Abigail Rencheli/Gabriella Broadfoot (NC State) d. Reese Miller/Piper Charney (U-M), 6-3
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2, Singles 5-6-3-4
Players Mentioned
