On the singles court, the Michigan women’s tennis team produced mixed results this weekend at the Kitty Harrison Invitational in Queens, N.Y.
In doubles play, the Wolverines were nearly unstoppable, posting a 5-1 record over the weekend.
“We’re playing aggressively,” said Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein. “We’re really moving forward and not a lot of teams do. I was really excited about that actually. I felt like we had a presence and we competed hard.”
Freshman Brienne Minor and Kate Fahey reached the greatest heights for Michigan. As a doubles team, they topped Texas’ Breaunna Addison and Dani Wagland, 8-6.
Both Minor and Fahey proved their doubles skills are developed well beyond their years.
Against VCU, Fahey teamed up with sophomore Mira Ruder-Hook and grounded the pair of Olga Barshcheuskaya and Darya Berezhnaya, 8-5. Minor linked up with sophomore Kara Hall to defeat Yana Morar and Magda Aubets, 8-5.
Later, Minor and Ruder-Hook joined forces to finish above Olivia Thaler and Lauren Goodman of William and Mary, 6-1. Ruder-Hook also notched a doubles win with Hall over Lana Groenvynck and Neda Koprcina of Texas, 8-6.
“(Brienne and Kate) are almost setting the standard for the older kids with how hard they work,” Bernstein said.
Minor also soared in singles play as she picked up victories against UNC’s Marika Akkerman, 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (8), and LSU’s Jessica Golvin, 6-2, 6-3. Her only blemish came when she fell to Duke’s Kaitlyn McCarthy, 4-6, 3-6.
Fahey and Ruder-Hook took one singles win apiece as Ruder-Hook emerged victorious over Chloe Ouellet-Pizer, 7-6, 6-3, and Fahey defeated LSU’s Abby Owens, 6-2, 6-4.
“The way (Kate) is playing, I’m super excited,” Bernstein said. “She’s stepping up and being more aggressive, and that’s not something natural for her because she doesn’t like to miss. If she keeps doing that, her improvement is going to be huge.”
Making the Wolverines’ success this fall more impressive is the fact that the team has played short-handed lately, as Bernstein alluded to.
“We’ve had some injuries, but as far as the kids we’ve put out on the court, I’m really happy,” Bernstein said. “We just got to get everyone healthy and back on the court, and I think we’ll be in good shape come January.”
But before the spring season starts in January, Michigan will have to compete in two tournaments next weekend. Minor and Senior Ronit Yurovsky will return to New York for the ITA Indoor National Championships, while everyone else will go to the ASU Thunderbird in Tempe, Az.