Michigan to Travel to West Coast to Face LA Schools

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team (11-3, 4-0 Big Ten) heads to California for a pair of matches this weekend, facing No. 24 UCLA (6-5, 1-1 Big Ten) on Saturday (March 22) and No. 16 USC (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) on Sunday (March 23). Both matches are slated for noon PT starts.

Notes

• The No. 5-ranked Wolverines head west to California for a pair of matches against ranked opponents, taking on No. 24 UCLA and No. 16 USC. This brings Michigan's total of ranked opponents so far this season to 11.

• U-M is 0-2 all-time against the Bruins and has not faced UCLA since the 2013 NCAA Tournament at Illinois. This will mark the first time the teams have faced each other in Westwood since 1983.

• Michigan is 1-5 all-time against USC and is looking for its first win since a 5-2 victory in Ann Arbor during the 2011 ITA Kickoff (Jan. 30). This is the first time the teams are meeting as conference opponents.

• This is the second straight season that USC and U-M are squaring off. Piper Charney's sister, Emma, plays for the Trojans.

• U-M and USC are two of three unbeaten teams in conference play. Michigan is 4-0, Wisconsin checks in at 3-0, and USC is 2-0.

• Michigan will face all four new Big Ten schools this season. Following this California swing, the Pacific Northwest duo of Oregon and Washington will come to the Varsity Tennis Center, April 12-13.

• U-M has won 32 straight Big Ten regular-season matches, dating back to the 2021-22 season. Michigan rallied from a 3-0 deficit to pick up a 4-3 win over No. 10 Ohio State last weekend, marking the second time under head coach Ronni Bernstein that U-M has won the final four matches on court to take the win. The Wolverines wrapped up the weekend with a 4-1 victory over Penn State to move to 2-0 in the Big Ten this season.

• Michigan moved back into the top five in this week's ITA rankings, coming in at No. 5. U-M has five ranked singles players in No. 3 Julia Fliegner, No. 22 Charney, No. 34 Lily Jones, No. 86 Emily Sartz-Lunde, and No. 123 Reese Miller.

• Michigan swept the Big Ten weekly awards as Fliegner was named the Big Ten Player of the Week and Sartz-Lunde was honored as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

• The Wolverines have been solid at the top of the lineup, with Fliegner and Charney combining to go 19-2 at the top two spots. Fliegner is 9-0 at No. 1 and 1-0 at No. 2, with Charney holding a 9-2 mark at No. 2.

• Bernstein enters her 18th season as the head coach, holding a 534-195 overall coaching record. She is currently eighth nationally among active coaches in wins. Bernstein ranks 18th all-time in victories.

• Michigan returns home to the Varsity Tennis Center next weekend (March 29-30) to host Illinois and Northwestern.