Canes vault to No. 9, host first round of tourney
Perennial women’s tennis power University of Miami returned into the nation’s top 10 this week, beginning its quest for a national championship on Friday at UM’s Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
The Hurricanes (17-5, 10-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who were awarded the first two rounds of the tournament, face No. 61 Stetson (22-2, 8-1 Atlantic Sun) at 1 p.m. Friday. UM’s site begins play at 10 a.m., when No. 21 UCF (15-7, 3-0 American Athletic Conference) meets No. 41 Alabama (15-11, 5-8 Southeastern Conference).
The No. 9 Hurricanes have won two individual singles national championships and four times had the ITA National Player of the Year — but have yet to win a national team title.
“I’m thinking about getting tomorrow taken care of,” UM coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews told the Miami Herald. “We’re very happy to be hosting this weekend. It’s been a few years. To be playing at home and hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA championships is huge.
“The goal now is to advance Friday, advance Saturday, take a deep breath and see what happens.”
Should UM win Friday and Saturday, it would advance to the NCAA’s Sweet 16 — next weekend at Pepperdine in Malibu, California, if Pepperdine wins its first two rounds, or at UM if Pepperdine is eliminated this weekend.
This is UM’s first time hosting since 2018 and its highest seed since 2016, when it was seventh. Miami is making its 36th appearance in the NCAA tournament, tied for eighth most all-time. The Canes have advanced to at least the second round the past 19 tournaments, dating to Yaroshuk-Tews’ first season as UM coach. They have reached the Round of 16 in 12 of the past 15 tournaments.
Miami has three ranked singles players: No. 33 fourth-year junior Daevenia Achong, No. 37 fifthyear senior Eden Richardson and No. 92 sophomore Isabella Pfennig.
The Hurricanes’ ranked doubles teams are No. 13 Achong-Richardson, No. 54 Diana Khodan-Maya Tahan and No. 76 TahanTatyana Nikolenko.
The 2022 NCAA women’s tennis championships will be at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in
Urbana, Illinois, from May 19 to May 28.
UKRAINE’S KHODAN
Khodan, the Ukrainian standout whose saga was previously documented in the Herald after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of her country, tore the anterior cruciate ligament of her right knee in April and already underwent reconstructive surgery. But she’s with the team and is “still playing an important role,” Yaroshuk-Tews said.
“Look, it was really disappointing,” the coach said. “You lose one of your starters and it’s super disappointing. She’s good, she’s tough, she’s got a smile on her face, she’s healing and she’s helping us in a coaching capacity, on the court and in the kids’ ears.”
Yaroshuk-Tews said Khodan’s mother and two of her grandparents were able to leave the Ukraine and reach the United States. Her grandparents are in Illinois. Her mom is with Khodan in Miami. But her father and older brother “are not allowed to leave the country,” the coach said. “So far, luckily everything is OK.”