Wolverines Rally Past Virginia, Punch Ticket to NCAA Quarterfinals

Wolverines Rally Past Virginia, Punch Ticket to NCAA Quarterfinals

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)

Event: NCAA Tournament (Third Round)

Score: #5 Michigan 4, #12 Virginia 2

Records: U-M (25-3), UVA (20-7)

Next U-M Event: Wednesday, May 17 — vs. #3 Georgia – NCAA Quarterfinals (Lake Nona, Fla.), TBA

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan women’s tennis team fell in a 2-0 hole before winning four straight matches, knocking off No. 11-ranked and 12th-seeded Virginia 4-2 on Saturday afternoon (May 13) at the Varsity Tennis Center. With the win, Michigan punched its ticket to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history.

Michigan fell behind early, dropping the doubles point as Virginia won at No. 1 and No. 2.

Needing to win four singles matches, Michigan took three first sets as Kari Miller, Jaedan Brown and Lily Jones each winning their first sets.

Virginia pushed its lead to 2-0 behind a straight-set win at No. 4 before Michigan went to work.

Miller pulled out a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 1 over No. 61 Julia Adams to trim the UVA lead in half. In a first set that featured breaks of serve throughout the first eight games, Miller consolidated her break for a 5-3 lead. Both players held in their next service games as Miller got the early lead. The second set was much of the same as neither player could hold serve consistently. Miller broke for a 5-4 lead on a passing shot on the deuce point, closing out the match in the next game.

Jones quickly pulled Michigan level at 2-2 with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 5. It was all Jones in the first as she broke at 3-1 and did not look back in the win. In the second, she raced out to a 3-0 lead and never gave a break back, rallying from a 0-40 hole as she was trying to serve out the match. She ripped off four straight points for Michigan’s second point of the afternoon.

Brown gave Michigan its first lead of the afternoon behind a 6-4, 6-3 victory at No. 2. She fell behind 4-1 in the first set but answered with five straight games in the 6-4 win. Her second set followed a similar script as she dropped the first three games. Brown buckled down from there, winning six consecutive games to give the…