With summer coming to a close in Ann Arbor, a weekend slate to Florida seemed like the perfect getaway for the Michigan women's tennis team.

But off-and-on wet weather caused competition to be postponed on Friday in Coral Gables. That postponement left the Wolverines with just two days of competition, which made for a weekend of inconsistent play in the non-scoring event.

The fall is generally used as tune-up time for collegiate tennis. Players compete as individuals in order to improve their rankings, while coaches tinker with lineups in order to find the right combinations for the spring. For that reason, Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein took all nine of her players to the Miami Fall Tournament.

Michigan will most likely be a top-10 team when spring rolls around, after finishing last season ranked No. 8 nationally. But even for a squad that went 10-0 in Big Ten play last year, there’s always a little rust to shake off.

“After the summer we’re definitely not playing our best and need to go back to work when we get back,” Bernstein said.

After the initial rain, the Wolverines won four singles matches and a doubles match. No. 12 Denise Muresan highlighted the day with a victory over No. 106 Jenny Frisell from Central Florida. The Michigan senior nearly blanked her ranked opponent, winning the match 6-0, 6-1.

Senior captains Whitney Taney and Rika Tatsuno — the nation’s No. 4 doubles team — lost their match on Saturday to the 16th ranked team from Miami. Taney came out of the match a bit sore and did not participate in any matches on Sunday, but the injury is not considered to be serious.

On the second day, the Wolverines lost all of their singles matches, a credit to Miami's solid play.

“(Miami’s) tough and they’re used to playing at home,” Bernstein said. “But I don’t think we played our best.”

And while the day was not Michigan's finest, Bernstein recognizes the ample amount of time her team has to improve.

“It’s a little disappointing,” Bernstein said. “But we have tons of time, so it’s not time to get crazy with the results.”

Bernstein commented on the team’s lack of positive energy, noting that the scorching heat started to take a toll on the girls. But after team chemistry and camaraderie fueled the squad last year, she expects her senior-led team to overcome this glimmer of adversity.

And getting back into the swing of things should come a little easier when the Wolverines return home. Ann Arbor will host the Wolverine Invitational next weekend, and Bernstein knows that the results from Miami are something to build on for the future.

“We’re excited, but we’re not content with where we are,” Bernstein said. “So we have to work hard and the girls know that, so that’s what we’ll do.”