Miami women’s tennis blanks Louisville for first ACC sweep this season

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.