Miami women’s tennis pushes through adversity.
Coming off their worst loss of the season against No. 44 Notre Dame, the eighth-ranked Canes swept an ACC team for the first time this year on Sunday, downing Louisville at Bass-Rudd Tennis Center to cap their last regular-season road game in spectacular fashion. Miami didn’t drop a single set all day.
“We took care of business today. I was happy with things coming off of a tough Friday,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “I’m proud of how they responded and I’m looking forward to a great end to our home slate next weekend.”
With the win, UM (14-4, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) improved to 8-0 all-time against the Cardinals (8-12, 0-11 ACC).
The Hurricanes blazed out to early leads on all three courts in doubles, quickly securing their first point.
The duo of fourth-year junior Daevenia Achong and fifth-year senior Eden Richardson, ranked No. 20, bounced back after losing their past two matches, taking only 30 minutes to defeat Sasha Gorchanyuk and Rhea Verma, 6-2.
After winning her first collegiate singles match on Friday, freshman Tatyana Nikolenko earned her first doubles victory with third-year sophomore Maya Tahan, as they took down Dina Chaika and Chelsea Sawyer, 6-2, to clinch the doubles point.
Play was suspended on Court 3, with Tyra Richardson and Tatiana Simova leading sophomores Audrey Boch-Collins and Isabella Pfennig, 5-3.
The Hurricanes got off to a strong start in singles, taking the opening set on each court.
Nikolenko secured Miami’s second point by dominating Gorchanyuk, 6-1, 6-0. Moments later, No. 74 Pfennig extended the lead to three with a 6-3, 6-0, thrashing of Chaika.
Tahan then sealed the match, besting Simova, 6-2, 6-4, to put the Canes up 4-0.
All remaining matches were played out, with UM taking them all.
No. 28 Achong got back on track after snapping her 12-game winning streak on Friday with a 6-4, 6-3 decision over Sawyer. Her doubles partner, No. 48 Richardson, won next, finishing off Verma, 6-3, 6-4.
Boch-Collins completed the sweep, garnering Miami’s seventh point with a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Richardson.
The Hurricanes now have four shutouts this year, three of which came by a 7-0 score.
Miami returns to Coral Gables next weekend to play its last two games of the regular season, facing Syracuse at 5 p.m. on Friday and Boson College at 11 a.m. on Sunday.