Michigan
Virginia
Michigan's Rally Falls Short Against No. 15 Virginia
1/30/2026 9:02:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: #15 Virginia 4, #13 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (1-2), UVA (6-1)
Next U-M Event: Monday, Feb. 2 -- vs. Auburn (Varsity Tennis Center), 6 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team tied the team match at 2-2 but could not get closer, dropping a 4-2 decision to No. 15-ranked Virginia on Friday evening (Jan. 30) at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Virginia took the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and No. 1. After the Cavaliers took a 6-2 win at No. 2, Michigan's No. 3 duo of Piper Charney and Emily Sartz-Lunde countered with a 6-2 win of their own at No. 3. U-M got the break it needed at 3-2 and consolidated the break at love in the next game. Charney and Sartz-Lunde did not drop a game the rest of the way, taking the 6-2 victory.
At No. 1, Michigan held a break advantage until Virginia got back on serve at 3-3 and held in the next game for a 4-2 lead. Michigan's Jessica Bernales and Lily Jones were down 0-40 in their ensuing service game but fought back to hold at 5-4. U-M broke at 6-5 after Bernales came through with a winner at the net on the deuce point. U-M could not convert in the next game, eventually falling 7-2 in the breaker to seal the doubles point for Virginia.
Michigan won two first sets in singles action, with wins from Jones at No. 2 and Reese Miller at No. 4.
Miller pulled Michigan level at 1-1 behind a 6-2, 6-1 win over No. 52 Martina Genis Salas at No. 4. After cruising to the first-set win, Miller won the first five games of the second to pick up the straight-set victory.
Virginia countered with a win at No. 4, pulling ahead at 2-1 in the team match.
Jones avenged a loss last year to Annabelle Xu, picking up a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 2 to again tie the team match, this time at 2-2. Jones had a chance to serve out the match at 5-3 but was broken. She returned the favor in the next game, breaking for the straight-set victory.
The Hoos regained the lead a few minutes later behind a win at No. 5, grabbing a 3-2 advantage.
With Michigan needing to win both remaining matches on court, Charney fought back from down a set and 5-2 to tie her second set at 5-5.
Sartz-Lunde was left on court with Charney at the No. 6 spot. After being down 5-3 and fighting off several match points, Sartz-Lunde forced a tiebreaker. She fell down 4-1 before winning two straight for a 4-3 deficit. Virginia won the next two points, taking three match points. Sartz-Lunde fought off the first two but not the third, falling in two sets for Virginia's fourth point.
Michigan is back in action on Monday (Feb. 2), hosting No. 4 Auburn at 6 p.m. at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 3 Piper Charney (U-M) vs. No. 30 Vivian Yang (Virginia), 4-6, 6-5 abandoned
No. 2 -- No. 32 Lily Jones (U-M) d. No. 20 Annabelle Xu (Virginia), 6-2, 6-4
No. 3 -- No. 80 Reese Miller (U-M) d. No. 52 Martina Genis Salas (Virginia), 6-2, 6-1
No. 4 -- No. 125 Isabelle Lacy (Virginia) d. No. 85 Jessica Bernales (U-M), 6-1, 6-4
No. 5 -- Melodie Collard (Virginia) d. Gabriella Lindgren (U-M), 6-3, 6-4
No. 6 -- Katie Rolls (Virginia) d. Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M), 6-4, 7-6 (5)
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 9 Melodie Collard/Vivian Yang (Virginia) d. No. 43 Jessica Bernales/Lily Jones (U-M), 7-6 (2)
No. 2 -- No. 10 Annabelle Xu/Martina Genis Salas (Virginia) d. Reese Miller/Gabriella Lindgren (U-M), 6-2
No. 3 -- Piper Charney/Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M) d. Isabelle Lacy/Meggie Navarro (Virginia), 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles 2-3-1, Singles 3-4-2-5-6
Players Mentioned
