Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Event: Big Ten Tournament (Championship)
Score: #2 Michigan 4, #12 Ohio State 2
Records: U-M (26-3), OSU (19-7)
Next U-M Event: Monday, April 29 -- NCAA Selection Show (NCAA.com), 6:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Holding a 3-1 team lead and concurrent match points at No. 1 and No. 3, Julia Fliegner delivered the fourth point behind a straight-set win at No. 3 as the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team won its third straight Big Ten Tournament title in a 4-2 win over No. 12 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon (April 28) in front of more than 600 fans at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Fliegner and Kari Miller each held match points on adjacent courts as Michigan needed just one more point for the team win. Fliegner, named the MVP of the tournament, came through when Ohio State put a forehand in the net after fighting off one match point. Fliegner rallied to win the first set, recovering from a 4-0 hole in the breaker by ripping off seven straight points to get the win. Fliegner fell behind 3-1 in the second set and after getting back on serve at 4-4, she was broken again at 4-5. She answered right back and held her serve for a 6-5 lead. Fliegner converted her second match point, beating Miller to the punch as Michigan recorded its 18th straight win.
Michigan struck first, winning the doubles point behind victories at No. 2 and No. 3 sandwiched around an Ohio State win at No. 1. The freshman duo of Reese Miller and Piper Charney rolled to a 6-1 win at No. 2, winning the first two games and never looking back in the win.
After Ohio State took a win at the top spot, attention turned to No. 3 where Fliegner and Lily Jones were up two breaks with a 5-2 lead. Ohio State countered by winning eight of the next nine points for a pair of games and keeping Michigan from locking up the first point. With Michigan back to serve for the match a second time, Fliegner delivered as the Wolverines took the 1-0 lead in the match.
U-M won four first sets in singles action after Fliegner rallied for the win at No. 3. Ohio State evened the team score at 1-1 with a straight-set win at No. 2.
The tie was short-lived as Charney came through with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 win at No. 6. After coasting to the first-set win, Charney fell behind early and could not pull even in the second set. The third set stayed on serve through the first five games before Charney came through with the break at 4-2. She consolidated the break in the ensuing game and both players held serve over the next two games as Charney collected the three-set win for Michigan's second point.
Moments later, Jones won 7-5, 6-3 at No. 5 for a 3-1 Michigan advantage. She took advantage of a late break in the first set to get the win and carried the momentum over into the second set. Jones raced out to a 4-1 lead before Teah Chavez won a pair of games to get back within 4-3. After holding serve to keep the break at 5-3, Jones again broke Chavez in the final game to account for Michigan's third point of the contest.
Ohio State again answered with a straight-set win, getting it at No. 4, to pull within a point at 3-2.
Fliegner and Kari Miller were the remaining players on court when attention turned to their side of the VTC, with both Wolverines winning their first sets. Miller was up a break at 4-3 and Fliegner was on serve at 4-3 in their respective second sets.
At No. 1, both players held serve over the next two games to send Miller back to the line to serve out the match at 5-4. She had a pair of match points but Ohio State fought off both, the latter on a lob shot that found the back corner to tie the third at 5-5. Miller again got the break and had the opportunity to serve out the match in the next game. She held a match point when it was abandoned after Fliegner wrapped up the win.
Michigan has tied a program record with 26 wins on the strength of its 18-match winning streak. The NCAA Selection Show is set for Monday (April 29) at 6:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 3 Kari Miller (U-M) vs. No. 18 Irina Cantos (Ohio State), 6-4, 6-5 abandoned
No. 2 -- No. 53 Luciana Perry (Ohio State) d. No. 58 Gala Mesochoritou (U-M), 7-5, 6-3
No. 3 -- No. 27 Julia Fliegner (U-M) d. No. 115 Sydni Ratliff (Ohio State), 7-6 (4), 7-5
No. 4 -- Shelly Bereznyak (Ohio State) d. Jaedan Brown (U-M), 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 -- No. 78 Lily Jones (U-M) d. Teah Chavez (Ohio State), 7-5, 6-3
No. 6 -- No. 124 Piper Charney (U-M) d. Audrey Spencer (Ohio State), 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 31 Irina Cantos/Luciana Perry (Ohio State) d. No. 8 Kari Miller/Jaedan Brown (U-M), 6-2
No. 2 -- Piper Charney/Reese Miller (U-M) d. Sydni Ratliff/Audrey Spencer (Ohio State), 6-1
No. 3 -- Julia Fliegner/Lily Jones (U-M) d. Maddie Atway/Teah Chavez (Ohio State), 6-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-1-3, Singles 2-6-5-4-3
