Canes sweep FIU 4-0, head to Round of 16

For the second consecutive day, No. 6 Miami swept its regional opponent 4-0.

The victim this time around was local rival and No. 29 Florida International (19-6) Saturday afternoon at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.

It didn’t seem like it would be a cake walk for the Hurricanes (25-4) during doubles competition, however, when their second and third pairings trailed 5-4. Fortunately, freshman Gabriela Mejia and junior Claudia Wasilewski rallied back with an 8-6 clinching point in the third spot.

“I wasn’t too happy with the way the girls came out in doubles,” head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “They were playing not to lose rather than to win. We weren’t moving, we weren’t feisty. I think maybe the moment got to a few girls and that’s to be expected.”

In singles third-ranked Julia Cohen cruised in the first set and held on in the second for another straight set victory in the first position. No. 31 Bianca Eichkorn and Mejia provided the other two singles victories for the Canes.

“If we won this we’d head to NCAA’s Sweet 16 so there was a little bit of pressure,” Cohen said. “We all thought they [FIU] were going to play a little bit better because last time we played them it was 6-1 so we were prepared.”

Miami will head to College Station, Texas to face the winner of the Los Angeles, Ca. regional on Friday morning in the Round of 16. If the Hurricanes advance to the quarterfinals, there could be a rematch with No. 3 Duke, which beat UM 4-3 in the ACC Championship last month.

“We definitely have them on our radar, but we’re going to have to play good tennis,” Yaroshuk-Tews. “Whenever you play a PAC-10 team, you’re going to have to be ready to play.”

Singles
1. #3 Julia Cohen (UM) def. #79 Liset Brito (FIU) 6-0, 6-4
2. #24 Laura Vallverdu (UM) vs. #98 Mariana Muci (FIU) 6-3, 0-3, unfinished
3. #31 Bianca Eichkorn (UM) def. Maria Spenceley (FIU) 6-1, 6-2
4. #49 Michaela Kissell (UM) vs. Maria Dolores Pazo (FIU) 6-3, 4-5, unfinished
5. Gabriela Mejia (UM) def. Priscilla Castillo (FIU) 7-5, 6-0
6. Claudia Wasilewski (UM) vs. Maria Vallasciani (FIU) 6-3, 3-3, unfinished

Doubles
1. #19 Kissell/Vallverdu (UMW) def. Muci/Pazo (FIU) 8-3
2. #51 Cohen/Eichkorn (UMW) vs. Liset Brito/Maria Vallasciani (FIU) 6-7, unfinished
3. Mejia/Wasilewski (UMW) def. Castillo/Spenceley (FIU) 8-6

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (1,3,5)