May 9, 2009

From Army Athletic Communications

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The 2009 season came to an end for the Army women's tennis team, as the Black Knights faltered against No. 6 Miami, 4-0, at the Hurricanes' Neil Schiff Tennis Center in NCAA Regional action on Friday afternoon. Army won the Patriot League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after capturing the program's fifth-straight conference title two weeks ago.

With its top four singles players ranked in the nation's top-50 and a pair of top-60 doubles teams, Miami cruised into the regional final in front of 1,184 spectators and in 95-degree temperatures at its home facility. The Black Knights managed to win four doubles games and five on the singles side, but it was not enough to outlast the powerful Hurricanes.

Army hung with the Miami for the first couple of points in all three doubles matches before bowing at first and third doubles to allow Miami to capture the all-important doubles point and go ahead by a 1-0 score.

Senior Sarah Giles-Madden and sophomore Robie Verano suffered their first loss as a doubles pair this spring. The first to match to finish, the duo fell to Miami's Gabriela Mejia and Claudia Wasilewski (8-1) at No. 3. Senior Niki Flach and sophomore Michael Tollerton then moved to 16-7 on the year, as 19th-ranked Michaela Kissell and Laura Vallverdu out-did the Army tandem in the top flight (8-1) to secure the doubles point for the Hurricanes. No. 51 Julia Cohen and Bianca Eichkorn of Miami led Army's second doubles team of sophomore Anne Houghton and junior Kristin Beehler by a 7-2 score but did not finish.

In singles action, Maimi seized control of the top two flights in the early going, as Cohen and Vallverdu took a 3-0 lead in their first sets against Houghton (No. 1) and Flach (2), respectively. Both Houghton and Flach lost by identical 6-0, 6-0 scores against the No. 3 and No. 24 singles players in the nation, respectively. Flach's match was the first to finish, while Houghton's was not far behind as Miami surged in front, 3-0.

Miami's Claudia Wasilewski went on to clinch the match for the Hurricane's with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Army's Verano at No. 6. Verano, along with Giles-Madden and Beehler managed to avoid a shutout with their points all coming early on in the match. The loss was Verano's first since Feb. 8, as the Edinburg, Texas, native rode a 12-match win streak into the postseason.

No. 37 Florida International edged No. 42 Princeton, 4-3, in a thrilling match to start the day. FIU and Miami will meet in the regional final on Saturday at 2 p.m. with the winner advancing to the NCAA Championship round to be played at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, May 15-19.

Match Notes: Army made its ninth NCAA appearance on Friday ... the Black Knights met the Hurricanes for the first time in program history ... ranked sixth in the country, Miami was the highest nationally ranked opponent Army has faced since No. 3 Southern California in the 2006 NCAA Regional ... Michael Tollerton (Sarasota, Fla.) and Niki Flach (Naples, Fla.) are both Sunshine State products ... the FIU-Princeton match lasted well-past Army's scheduled start time of 1 p.m. ... Army and Miami did not get underway until closer to 2 p.m. ... the match lasted 1:43 in length ... Friday marked the final match for seniors Niki Flach and Sarah Giles-Madden ... Flach currently ranks third all-time in career doubles wins with 86, while Giles-Madden's 59 career doubles wins land ninth in Army history ... Flach is a four-time All-Patriot League player and former Player and Rookie of the Year ... Giles-Madden earned all-conference honors three times ... Army returns 10 players that recorded at least 10 wins this season for the 2009-10 campaign, including the Patriot League's first back-to-back Player of the Year, Anne Houghton.

Miami - 4

Army - 0

Doubles

1. #19 Michaela Kissell/Laura Vallverdu (Miami) def. Niki Flach/Michael Tollerton (Army), 8-1

2. #51 Julia Cohen/Bianca Eichkorn (Miami) ahead Anne Houghton/Kristin Beehler (Army), 7-2

3. Gabriela Mejia/Claudia Wasilewski (Miami) def. Sarah Giles-Madden/Robie Verano (Army), 8-1

Order of finish: 3, 1, 2 (DNF)

Singles

1. #3 Julia Cohen (Miami) vs. Anne Houghton (Army), 6-0, 6-0

2. #24 Laura Vallverdu (Miami) vs. Niki Flach (Army), 6-0, 6-0

3. #31 Bianca Eichkorn (Miami) ahead Sarah Giles-Madden (Army), 6-1, 5-0

4. #49 Michaela Kissell (Miami) ahead Kristin Beehler (Army), 6-1, 3-2

5. Gabriela Mejia (Miami) ahead Michael Tollerton (Army), 6-0, 3-0

6. Claudia Wasilewski (Miami) vs. Robie Verano (Army), 6-1, 6-0

Order of finish: 2, 1, 6