Michigan
Florida
Michigan Knocks Off No. 17 Florida, Advances to NCAA Third Round
5/3/2026 5:52:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Second Round)
Score: #12 Michigan 4, #17 Florida 2
Records: U-M (21-6), UF (17-8)
Next U-M Event: Friday, May 8 -- at North Carolina -- NCAA Tournament Third Round (Chapel Hill, N.C.), 5 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season, knocking off No. 17 Florida, 4-2, on Sunday afternoon (May 3) at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Lily Jones clinched the match for Michigan after Florida cut the lead to 3-2 with a straight-set win at No. 6. Jones dropped the opening set and trailed 2-0 in the second before winning 12 of the next 13 games to secure Michigan's fourth point. Emily Sartz-Lunde was also on court in a third set when her match was abandoned.
U-M built a 2-0 lead by claiming the doubles point and getting a straight-set win from Reese Miller at No. 3 singles.
Michigan secured the doubles point in a tightly contested session that lasted one hour and seven minutes. Florida earned the first decision with a 6-2 win at No. 2, but U-M responded with wins at No. 3 and No. 1.
At No. 3, Piper Charney and Sartz-Lunde broke for a 5-3 lead and held three match points on serve but could not convert. After falling behind early in the tiebreak, Michigan surged with six of the first seven points to take control and close out a 7-6 (2) win.
At No. 1, Jessica Bernales and Jones also needed a tiebreak. Tied at 2-2 in the breaker, U-M won four straight points for a 6-2 lead. Florida saved two match points before Michigan converted on its ninth to take the 1-0 lead.
Michigan claimed two first sets in singles play, coming from Miller and Bernales.
Miller was first off court, dropping just two games in a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 3 to extend the lead to 2-0.
Florida got on the board with a win at No. 2, but Bernales answered moments later with a 6-4, 6-3 victory at No. 5 to push Michigan ahead, 3-1. She broke at 5-4 in the first set and held to close it out, then broke again at 4-3 in the second and held for the win.
Florida cut the deficit to 3-2 with a straight-set win at No. 6, setting up the deciding match at the top of the lineup.
Jones delivered the clincher with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 1.
U-M will face No. 5 North Carolina in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday (May 8) at 5 p.m.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 24 Lily Jones (U-M) d. No. 47 India Houghton (Florida), 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 -- No. 51 Valery Gynina (Florida) d. No. 8 Piper Charney (U-M), 6-4, 6-2
No. 3 -- No. 105 Reese Miller (U-M) d. No. 59 Gabia Paskauskas (Florida), 6-2, 6-0
No. 4 -- No. 120 Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M) vs. Brooke Black (Florida), 4-6, 6-4, 2-3 abandoned
No. 5 -- Jessica Bernales (U-M) d. No. 101 Lucie Pawlak (Florida), 6-4, 6-3
No. 6 -- Niki Daubnerova (Florida) d. Laura Rahnel (U-M), 6-4, 7-6 (5)
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 30 Jessica Bernales/Lily Jones (U-M) d. No. 14 Niki Daubnerova/Xinyi Nong (Florida), 7-6 (4)
No. 2 -- No. 43 Valery Gynina/Brooke Black (Florida) d. No. 66 Reese Miller/Laura Rahnel (U-M), 6-2
No. 3 -- Piper Charney/Emily Sartz-Lunde (U-M) d. Lucie Pawlak/India Houghton (Florida), 7-6 (2)
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-3-1; Singles 3-2-5-6-1
Players Mentioned
