After sweeping Yale to open the ITA Kickoff on Saturday, the Wolverines were on a mission to secure their spot in the championship. And, that’s exactly what they did on Sunday.
With the ITA National Team Indoor Championship on the line, the No. 8 Michigan women’s tennis team (2-0) relied on the fundamentals: communication and energy. In a commanding display of grit and toughness, Michigan blanked UC Santa Barbara (1-3), 4-0.
In the opening of doubles play, the Gauchos struck first. In their most dominant performance of the day, UCSB broke the Wolverines’ serve to take a 6-1 victory over junior Lily Jones and freshman Emily Sartz-Lunde. The Gauchos were in the driver’s seat — but only for a moment.
“Communication is everything,” sophomore Piper Charney said. “When you’re just positive after every point, you can keep going at a much better pace.”
Starting off strong for Michigan, sophomore Jessica Bernales and Charney came out firing, breaking the Gauchos early. With unstoppable serves and calculated shots, the duo consolidated the break and cruised to a victory, 6-2.
With the doubles point hanging in the balance, all eyes turned to sophomore Reese Miller and senior Julia Fleigner. Despite a valiant effort from UCSB, the Wolverines’ duo walked off the court with their heads held high. Miller and Fleigner won three straight points, clinching the doubles point for Michigan.
As the Wolverines transitioned to singles, energy was the key ingredient to their success.
“(Michigan coach Ronnie Bernstein) is really big on energy,” Charney said. “And, that has really helped.”
On adjacent courts, Bernales and Charney set the tone early, each jumping to a 3-0 lead. Showcasing her powerful forehand and lethal backhand, Bernales was the first to get points on the board for Michigan, securing a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Meanwhile, Charney dominated her match with pinpoint precision and intensity on every shot. Just a few moments after Bernales, Charney added the Wolverines’ third point with a 6-1, 6-3 win — her second singles victory of the weekend.
Across three of the remaining four matches, the Gauchos went up 2-1, painting a concerning picture for the Wolverines. However, junior Lily Jones stepped up to the plate when it mattered most.
Despite falling behind 2-0, Jones quickly found her rhythm, winning six of the last eight games to take the set. In the second set, it was all Michigan from there on out as Jones secured the Wolverines’ fourth point of the day with a 6-4, 6-2 win. Her poise under pressure was crucial to securing her last point, cementing Michigan’s win with a strong service game.
“We just showed toughness and grit,” Bernstein said. “That’s what it takes to make a run this year and be one of the top teams in the country.”
In this dominating victory, the Wolverines’ formula for success was quite simple — communication, high energy and grit. And with this formula, Michigan now has a chance to win it all at the ITA Indoor Championship.
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