Michigan Falls to North Carolina in ITA Indoor Quarterfinals

Michigan Falls to North Carolina in ITA Indoor Quarterfinals

Site: Seattle, Wash. (Seattle Tennis Club)

Event: ITA National Team Indoor Championship (Quarterfinals)

Score: #2 North Carolina 4, #12 Michigan 1

Records: U-M (5-1), UNC (12-0)

Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 12 — at ITA National Team Indoor Championship (Seattle, Wash.), TBA

SEATTLE, Wash. — The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan women’s tennis team got a point on the board and was in third sets at two spots but could not complete the comeback, falling 4-1 to No. 2-ranked North Carolina on Saturday evening (Feb. 11) in the quarterfinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship at the Seattle Tennis Club.

North Carolina took the early lead, grabbing the doubles point behind wins at No. 2 and No. 3. The Tar Heels used a fast start at No. 3 and rallied from an early break at No. 2 to take the early edge.

Julia Fliegner and Nicole Hammond each won first sets in singles at Nos. 3 and 5, respectively. Fliegner made good on a passing shot for a 2-1 lead, keeping the break the rest of the way in a 6-2 win. Hammond won the first three games before dropping three straight for a 3-3 tie. She buckled down from there, winning the final three games in a 6-3 win.

North Carolina won first sets at No. 1, No. 2, No. 4 and No. 6. Michigan’s best chance to win a first set at the remaining courts came at No. 4, but Andrea Cerdan could not convert on her three break points to force a tiebreaker in a 7-5 loss.

UNC extended its lead to 2-0 with a straight-set win at No. 1.

In the meantime, Kari Miller split at No. 2 to stay on court and force a third set. Michigan got on the board a few minutes later behind a 6-2, 7-5 win at No. 3 from Fliegner. She grabbed a 5-3 lead and went back to serve out the match, but Carson Tanguilig fought off a pair of match points to get back on serve. With the second eventually tied 2-2, Fliegner won the final two games for a straight-set win and Michigan’s first point.

Bayley Sheinin, making her dual-match debut, hung in there against UNC’s No. 18 Anika Yarlagadda before the Tar Heel pulled out a 6-3, 6-4 win. Sheinin rallied from a big hole to start the second set, getting within 4-3 before Yarlagadda won the final two games to push…