Feb. 26, 2010
Complete Match Notes (PDF) 
Coral Gables, Fla. -
The No. 19 University of Miami women's tennis team will play host to No. 12 Clemson on Sat., Feb. 27, at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center beginning at noon. Admission is free.
Miami (4-3) comes into the match having won 22 of its last 23 home matches, and is 3-1 on the year in the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. The Hurricanes have not played a match since Sun., Feb. 14, when they defeated No. 4 Georgia, 5-2, at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Madison, Wis.
Clemson (11-2, 1-0 ACC) enters Saturday's matchup having jumped a spot in this week's Campbells'/ITA poll, making the leap to No. 12. They are led by sophomore Josipa Bek, who comes in as Saturday's highest ranked participant for the Tigers, sitting at No. 18 in this week's singles poll. Clemson has already defeated No. 14 Georgia Tech in its only conference match of the year.
The Hurricanes have four players ranked in this week's ITA singles poll, including senior three-time All-American Laura Vallverdu, who ranks tied at No. 7 - serving as the highest ranked player in Saturday's match on either lineup. Vallverdu owns a record of 17-8 on the year (5-2 dual). While winning her last two matches, she took down Chelsey Gullickson (No. 14) of Georgia at the ITA Indoor Championships in her last match.
Also ranked for UM is junior All-American Bianca Eichkorn, jumping to No. 55 in this week's poll. Eichkorn is the only Hurricanes player unbeaten in the spring (7-0), and holds a record of 12-4 overall on the 2009-10 season.
Sophomore Anna Bartenstein is making her initial entrance into the singles poll, debuting this week at No. 55. The Graz, Austria native is 16-3 overall (6-1 dual), while winning three-straight matches at the ITA Indoor Championships. Fellow sophomore Gabriela Mejia dropped to No. 118 this week, while maintaining a record of 12-3 for the year (6-1 dual).
Miami owns the all-time series against the Tigers with a commanding 20-5 advantage. In fact, the Hurricanes have won the previous eight meetings in the series - claiming a 5-2 triumph in Clemson, S.C., last year in on Mar. 8, when the Tigers were ranked ninth nationally. UM head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews is unbeaten lifetime against Clemson, as the last Tigers' victory over the `Canes occurred on Feb. 18, 2000 with the Tigers taking a 6-3 edge in South Carolina.
In between doubles and singles competition, the UM tennis team will recognize former Hurricanes student-athlete Elizabeth Levinson, who played for Miami on some of the most powerful women's tennis teams of the 1980s between 1986-89.
For more information on University of Miami women's tennis, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. After browsing to the women's tennis home page, you will find the latest news, stats and match notes pertaining to the Hurricanes women's tennis program.
