Forget Football, Think Tennis

For the first time since November 2019, the University of Miami women’s tennis team is headed to a fall tournament.

Due to the cancelation of the 2020 fall campaign because of COVID-19, it has been nearly two years since the Hurricanes competed in this portion of their season.

In fact, only two of Miami’s eight players have previously played in any fall tournaments as a Hurricane: Nada Dimovska and Daevenia Achong. Each did so only in 2019.

Achong is one of five Hurricanes set to visit Cary, N.C., for this weekend’s season-opening Fall Ranked Spotlight, hosted by NC State, Thursday through Sunday at Cary Tennis Park.

 

Two players—third-year sophomore Diana Khodan and sophomore Isabella Pfennig—will be making their collegiate fall debuts. Two others—sophomore Audrey Boch-Collins and fifth-year senior Eden Richardson—played in fall tournaments at their prior colleges, but are in their first year at The U.

Given the group’s lack of experience on the fall circuit, 21st-year head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews addressed what it will be like for them.

“The fall season for them is just like having all freshmen, but at the end of the day, tennis is tennis,” she said. “You have to find your motivation a little bit more, in the fall, for yourself. It comes a little bit less for your team because the only person you’re going to let down if you don’t show up is yourself. So, motivation is a little different. Focuses are going to remain the same. But all these kids love tennis, so nobody wants to lose. Nobody wants to let themselves down.

“It’s like going to a junior tournament with a coach is how I would look at it,” Yaroshuk-Tews continued. “It’s like, ‘We’re going to play and you have a great coach with you. Let’s go get better.’ We’ve got great opportunities. They way they’ve set up this tournament is [that it features] the best players from all these teams. So, hopefully we’ll have some really good opportunities against ranked opponents and we’ll see what happens.”

It will indeed be a loaded field full of talent in the Tar Heel State. Miami’s five competitors will be joined by individuals from some of the nation’s finest programs: UCF, Duke, Michigan, North Carolina, NC State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Princeton, USC, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

The singles draw will feature 32 players in a compass draw, while the doubles pairs—Boch-Collins/Khodan and Achong/Pfennig are Miami’s duos—will be split into four-team round-robin groupings.

Action is scheduled to begin Thursday at 3:30 p.m., with each doubles pair playing two matches that day. Every player will then play two singles matches on both Friday and Saturday, followed by one singles match and one doubles match on Sunday. Competition begins at 9 a.m. on each of the final three days of the tournament.

This is the second iteration of the Fall Ranked Spotlight, the first of which came in September 2019 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. Estela Perez-Somarriba, then the reigning national champion in her fourth year at Miami, claimed the singles crown.

The attention this weekend, however, will not be on results. Rather, it will be the way in which the Hurricanes compete on the court.

“Outcome is definitely not the focus for us right now in the fall. Winning is simply icing,” Yaroshuk-Tews shared. “I think it’s, like, what type of tennis are we playing? What type of tennis are we bringing up to North Carolina? We’ve been focusing on being a little bit more aggressive, taking some more risks, taking some more chances. We know what we can do well and we know what we need to improve upon. So, what we’re looking to see in a pressure situation is making some adjustments, improving on some things. That’s going to solely be the focus. If we win, that’s great. If we lose, as long as we lose the right away, nobody really cares [in the fall].”

While a coach can ever be sure exactly what his/her team will be like until it begins a season, Yaroshuk-Tews is encouraged by what she has seen from her roster thus far in practice.

The Hurricanes have been on the court at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center for quite some time getting ready for this moment, the start of the fall season. Now it is here.

Comments

[HerbieIbis]

Well u know we are irrelevant in football when tennis takes center stage only at Da Yew.
To bad we have to wait one more week to watch another shyt show.

[AfriCane]

just saw the earl little interview.
hes petty. hes got hood drama with manny about hes son recruitment. his son is no.1 on miami's board. there shouldnt be any beef here. hes butt hurt. its petty, hood, and childish. let him go pound sand. we got a strong DB board anyway, disappointed at him. hes a small man with a small mind.
good luck to him.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Yeah Daddio

[HerbieIbis]

It's been a minute, since he had any feel for us. Pops wants him at Bama, last I heard but don't know if he is a take for Bama. On the smallish side for them, weight wise.
Can't blame him though, would u play for us?

[AfriCane]

Herb, it’s not about playing for us. Earl is using this as another time in the sun for him as much as his son. He loves the attention his getting. He preety much wants his ass to be kissed because he’s son his a 5*. He admitted himself that DVD & T-Rob call him everyday. They r his lead recruiters.
A lot of people take their kids out of town. It’s not about him playing for miami per se.
he’s a hood rat still. He needs to grow the hell up.

[AfriCane]

Kid will be in the portal in 2 years anyway looking to come to miami.

[CGNC]

Fire Fake Lames immediately.

That is all.

Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | September 19, 2021 at 10:09 AM

Happy Friday. The above never gets old. And it needs to happen

[CGNC]

And we need to lose the strength and conditioning coach from Temple. I mean really.

[AfriCane]

Want to know what the clan thinks:
Do we recycle coaches too much? Should we gut it out even if we have a coach failing even if they r in their 3rd year. R we too blood thirsty as a fan base.
I’m thinking it’s more about how they loose than the loss. But we have gone through 6 coaches in 17 years.
I’m still in the fire manny camp just because of the way the kids r playing. I mean, do we need 5 years to teach kids how to tackle???
Thoughts?

[AeroCane]

Easy AfriCane

They hire the WRONG guys so of course we churn - hire the right guy and I’m ok giving them 5 years. Coker was an easy but the wrong hire (should of gone after a young saben, Carroll etc); Randy was a shit hire; golden wasn’t a bad thought process other than he was northeast and a paterno guy (not too good for south Florida and the U); richt was a FIRED coach who was good but nothing more at Georgia and was at the end of his career (bad hire) and about 95% of us knew manny was a horrendous hire;
I’ve hired people and fired them the same day- if you know you made a bad decision, it’s better for you and the employee to move on! Manny should of been fired when he lost to FIU
It wasn’t going to get better after that and it hasn’t - the dirtbag manny should resign - big effing con artist and loser (Mack had it right firing his ass way back when)

[AeroCane]

And we need to lose the strength and conditioning coach from Temple. I mean really.

Posted by: CGNC

I’ve been saying this for over a year!

[VA Cane]

ML,

I call Urban Myer Flathead...look at his skull...his head is flat in the back...like someone took a flathead shovel and walloped him in the back of his head...hence the name Flathead..Someone ought to bring a bunch of flathead shovels and wallop a lot of folks in Coral Gables...Board AD staff hell players...all of em need a whack in the head or a foot in the tail!

[roachcane77]

Yeah. GO 🙌🏼 TENNIS! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Football? Meh 🤷🏼‍♂️

[HerbieIbis]

The prez don't care about sports so Blake Jimmy marches on but he needs to be fired first, like yesterday and then can Manny. U lose 2 for one, with him being let go. Head coach and Dee coordinator, so I guess TRob would move into that spot but Patke also needs to take a hike. Dude can't recruit and is as bad as Rumph in that department.
This team is all effed up. Manny rolled the dice on these sorry LBers and has lost.
As I said yesterday, there are rumblings on LT going into the portal, if they keep him locked on Da pine. He will play tomorrow, as will allot of freshmen.
Our Dee line hasn't been awful but they don't get push up front and Harvey has been missing in action. Unless someone tosses Manny sum paddles, his boat is and will sink, quickly I hope.

[Mia Chi ‘Cane ‘98]

Anyone see Herbstreit on Game Day this AM? He spoke the truth about Miami and was blunt. I wonder if the Prez and Blake James saw it.

[AeroCane]

Herb, the board of trustees made the decision (wrong IMO) to hire frenk who doesn’t care about sports. So here we are as fans rooting for a team who’s hire ups could give a shit about the 3 major sports - and it shows
The old man in charge of basketball should of been fired 2 plus years ago
Dimare should of been fired after the 3 game slaughter by FSU
Manny should never of been hired but even if he did, he should of been fired after the fiu embarrassment!

[HerbieIbis]

Until things change, we are no longer, in my eyes The U but The Yew, for sheepish play.

[CGNC]

Posted by: AeroCane | September 24, 2021 at 01:47 PM

Afri, I agree with Aero. We keep hiring different variations of the same thing - bad coaches. Florida went through 2 coaches after Meyer left in 2010 before Mullen and it looks like they have a good coach now. They weren't giving any of them 5 years to figure it out.

[CGNC]

Herbstreit:
"Miami is in for tough times"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzOjvLKUF5w

Don't we know it

[AeroCane]

Wow
We are great! Bring on Clemson!! LOL

[VA Cane]

Are we playing today? Do you care today? I dont think so

....Herbie was spot on told the truth so did Dez. We will never get back; the Midget Clinton clone Shalala wanted it to be Harvard of the south...she was a big part of the problem...she never really liked sports...smoke and mirrors...I am serious we need to give up the dream of being back it aint gonna happen. Drop down to Div III we can still win some games until you get a HS JJ or Erickson as a coach, the board and AD wanting to win, and get some players who want to win, aint gonna be!

I cannot imagine too many of these kids being smart in class, cause they are dumber than a box of rocks on the field...hmmmmm...says alot about the coaches to eh?

[Sarasota 'cane]

We’re back! 😂😂😂

[MLALUMNI1970]

Game Day said that there is NO interest in sports anymore. The Prez, AD, etc. want to do away with Miami Sports. Something bad is going on. It takes clout and money to get our school back. I am 73 years old and my school is going to be no more. I am sad.

[VA Cane]

Well one of my young men showed up to play...for ND Chris Tyree #25, Notre Dame RB took kickoff back 98 yards. Hes about 5'8" 180 or so, was a great kid on several SB winners. Nice young man plays hard...very good with fundamentals...sees the field good, sees openings, TD was a fantastic run. Proud of my young men wherever they play! Even ND!

ML did you see my post in the prior topic about why I call Urban M Flathead...check that head m'lady!

[Chris A Hughes]

please tell wiggins to look somewhere else.

[AeroCane]

Chris, I was gonna say the same thing!
And please take king with you!

[AeroCane]

Garcia is our best qb
No question about it
If we don’t play king, Wiggins and pope, and lashlee doesn’t choke with his play calling (like he does in EVERY big game) our O can be good. Manny still can’t coach D but at least we know James williams, kitchens are for real! Stevenson is a good CB as well. Brooks and Austin-cave look good to me as well.

[MLALUMNI1970]

Manny needs to go. I can’t even look at him. No class. Pouring it on is a sin, in my book. NO CLASS. We had the game won earlier on.
Manny is coach of the year, if you are playing junior high football.
I am happy for my late father, who was a Notre Dame grad would be so proud. ND, Brian Kelly passed Knute Rockne in wins.
Manny is an asshole, for pouring it on. NO CLASS, JUST AN ASS.

[CGNC]

LOL, I logged into work from home, in lieu of watching or listening to the game

[AeroCane]

PS Franklin (RB) looks big, quick to the hole and fast
He IMO will be our best back if they let him play
Harris is a fraud and should only play against weak defensive teams

[The Herb]

Herbstreit thinks FSU is farther along than us!
Now no doubt we have sucked but FSU is putrid.
Them turning it around before us is a joke.
I will say this, they have a very good class of recruits, theis cycle, especially OL but that's if they can hang onto them.
We,on the other hand seem to be picking our teeth with a tooth pick acting like it's no big deal to be sitting here with 9 fruits and all their eggs in one basket waiting on the big boys they have offers out to. Psst, Manny look at your teams performance. U may want to rethink your new recruiting tactics. You will be lucky to get 1 maybe 2 of the 9 or 10 big fish left on your board and that's God forbid, u are still here.
Ok we got our stats back up today and it's nice that the pups got to play and shined but it will be back to the real world next week. We shall see if things have been turned around.
Go Yew!

[VA Cane]

Yayyyyyyyyyy!!!!! We are the champions of the world!
I despise these kind of games; prez board AD all think nice win good job!!!
Damn embarrassing beating up on a little guy....Oh wait; Bama beat up a little guy in their opener.
Thats us...a little guy in a game played by men!
We should not be playing teams like CC...shameful for anyone to do this...JMO

One good thing is that kids played; play the frosh baby...the vets suck!

I do not see us ever being back again...we gone. We may have a 9-3 here or there, but never unbeaten, never make the playoff never win another NC...aint gonna happen...window miseed, closed and locked...just do not see a change coming

[AeroCane]

Only way it changes is the BOT force frenk to fire Blake and hire a true, strong AD!
His first job would be to fire manny’s con artist ass and make sure patke goes with him! I can’t remember the last extraordinary special teams play since patke has been in charge - effing loser!

[HerbieIbis]

Hell Aero, how about a game changing mugging LBer or maybe 2. The portal loving SOB had a chance to go get some help at LBer but didn't.
All that speed we're supposed to have and we wear DB's like back hair. I can't wait till the next game we suck, so the YEW will finally do something. Clean house and go get a prez that didn't grow up in a chemistry lab.

[Sarasota 'cane]

Posted by: VA Cane | September 25, 2021 at 05:53 PM

You sir are correct! UM is officially on the scrap heap of long ago perennial powers.

Minnesota Gophers: 7 ‘ships, last crowned in 1960.
Army: 5 ‘ships, last crowned in 1946.
Georgia Tech: 4 ‘ships, last crowned in 1990.

I think UM will be more like GT going forward. We’ll all be surprised once every 15-20 years when UM makes a run at a conference title with a 1-2 loss team of overachieving 5th year seniors and grad transfers.
And I’m not sure the ACC will even exist when they do it. I fully expect the SEC to poach FSU, Clemson, and 2 other schools of their choosing, blackballing UM in the process.

Thanks for the memories Miami!

Go ‘ canes!

[58 Straight]

LOL, I logged into work from home, in lieu of watching or listening to the game

Posted by: CGNC | September 25, 2021 at 04:01 PM

Just glad we won.

That is all.

[HerbieIbis]

SEC doesn't want Miami one because they have no on campus stadium, two they already have a whipping boy in Vanderbilt.

[Sarasota 'cane]

The SEC doesn’t want Miami because the SEC elite teams want the 305 talent, IMO.

[HillViewCane]

I saw Cristobal pulling a receiver out of the game and ripping him a new one for getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty yesterday. Displaying accountability. A tear came to my eye thinking of what could have been.

[nemo2020]

Good news Canes fans! The U is now tied for second place in the ACC COASTAL SOUTH. Manny says that despite some disappointing results earlier in the season, "Miami is still in a good position" to finish near the top of the (four team) ACC Coastal "Big South" subdivision. "We control our own destiny," Manny says. "We can still meet our preseason goal of playing in a postseason Crappy Bowl game."

[AeroCane]

My take:
Manny is still a horrible coach and con artist as a person! He needs to go!
IF the BOT puts pressure on frenk to have Blake move forward with firing manny and moving on, all he’d have to go is show the potential candidates the CCSU game tape with all the awesome freshmen and we’d be a very desirable head coaching location!
Just my opinion and I can dream, can’t I?
With the right coach and Clemson down, we could be dominant (in the ACC)

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Hurricanes - 69
Cupcakes - 0

Yeah, I like that, I like that a lot.

[CGNC]

This is rich.

Malik Rosier
@MalikRosier12
·
54m
We can win the ACC! To all the Miami fans and “Miami fans” y’all need to show up and support them boys Thursday ! I’ll be there

[AfriCane]

Don’t really have much to add today, except that Malik rosier can ball. That one hander. R u kidding me?

[nemo2020]

Manny did our freshmen a solid by playing them yesterday and giving them the opportunity to show off their talents. This will definitely help them when they enter the transfer portal.

[TonyCane]

Dan Mullen is already donning his Vader outfit once more and saying, “Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to college football.”

[TonyCane]

Malik is not wrong. I have seen far more unusual things happen than when a new quarterback comes in and completely changed everything. It is happening at Texas right now, now that Sark is going with Thompson.

Anything is still possible when it comes to the ACC.

[nemo2020]

Back in the day we could boast, "It's all about the U." And the college football world had to agree.
Now, under Coach Diaz, "The bling's the thing." That's about all we're known for these days.

[MLALUMNI1970]

Like I said before, when they needed to get rid of a bad coach at ND, they rang the bell, and the Alumni etc. came through and bought out multi
million dollar contracts,, I will never forget it. My father, who wasn’t wealthy at all, even sent money. BOOM, it was done!
We don’t have the “people” who are committed to let loose with bucks, to buy out contracts, etc. I guess, canespacers, I will be dead, before that happens.
Do any of you ever go to a game????

[Chris A Hughes]

Can someone tell Malik that I used all of my support watching his clown ass for 2 years with the classic Quarter back draw and the back shoulder pass