Feb. 8, 2012
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - After besting No. 42 South Florida in the finals of ITA Kick-Off Weekend, the No. 11 University of Miami women's tennis team earned the right to compete in one of the premier tournaments of the spring schedule: the ITA National Women's Team Indoor Championships.
The team's quest in Charlottesville, Va. at National Indoors will begin on Friday with a tough challenger in the early going; the Canes will battle the fifth-seeded California Golden Bears in the opening round at noon.
"Cal is an amazing program," Head Coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. "They've been a top team in the country year after year, and we're expecting a tough match."
In addition to Miami and California, the field includes 14 other teams considered among the preeminent tennis programs nationwide. The list includes: Duke, UCLA, Baylor, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, Mississippi, Clemson, Texas, Southern California, Tennessee, Northwestern, and Georgia Tech.
"You have to play against the best to see what's out there and understand your strengths and weaknesses as an athlete," Yaroshuk-Tews said. "This tournament, with its great competition, brings those out and makes you better."
The Hurricanes' coaching staff is relishing in the opportunity to play top-caliber programs, but are making sure the team prepares as it has all season long.
"We really want to get out there and compete as hard as we do in the middle of March when we're in our ACC schedule," she said. "It's about consistency, it's about doing it everyday, and we just have to look at it as an opportunity to improve."
The Canes enter the weekend with two seniors ranked in the top 40 nationally in singles play: Anna Bartenstein (No. 15) and Gabriela Mejia (No. 39). Mejia is undefeated so far this spring (5-0) at her No. 2 singles position, while Bartenstein is sporting an overall 2011-12 record of 23-7 at No. 1.
Though the team will rely on leadership from its senior duo, underclassmen will be pivotal to the Canes' chances of success. Freshmen Liat Zimmerman and Lina Lileikite are also coming off impressive performances at Kick-Off Weekend, where Zimmerman (4-1) earned her fourth victory of the season at No. 5 singles and Lileikite delivered the match-clinching win at No. 3.
"I was really impressed with the way the freshmen handled Kick-Off Weekend. I've told the girls that there will be movement in the lineup, but I don't think the first match is really the time to do it," Yaroshuk-Tews said. "We were in a good spot following USF and as of now, we're going to keep it as is."
Regardless of the tournament's outcome, Yaroshuk-Tews expects improvement.
"We're hoping to get better. Period," she said. "The competition is just amazing. Regardless of the outcomes, if we go 3-0 or if we go 0-3, you come back to Miami as a better team. That's what we're looking to do, and that's why we wanted to be here."
