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Noel Becomes A National Champion

Alexa Noel is bringing the NCAA Singles Championship trophy back to the University of Miami after a three-set thriller at the Greenwood Tennis Center.

For the third time in program history, a Miami Hurricane has earned the NCAA Singles title (Audra Cohen in 2007 and Estela Perez-Somarriba in 2019). Noel secured the honor after a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory against No. 70 Anastasiia Lopata from Georgia.

“I’m so proud of the tournament that Alexa played,” said head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews. “She showed uncompromising poise and the toughness of a champion. She’s a special young lady.”

Lopata was first to notch a game before Noel answered right back to tie it up and secure the break point to go up 2-1. The Bulldog didn’t waiver from it, as she took the next break point against Noel to lead 3-2. In a tight point to give Lopata the possible advantage, Georgia led 4-3, hoping to go up with only one more game to claim the set. Noel persevered to take the game and tied it up at 4-4. Lopata continued to do what she did and kept the game at her pace, leading to a 6-4 set win for Georgia.

Set two started the same way, with Lopata taking the lead and earning the 2-0 advantage. Noel didn’t stray away from fighting to cut the deficit, as she came up big with a break point to make it 3-2 and ultimately tie it at three-all. The remainder of the set mirrored the same way, until Noel took the lead on break point, 6-5, for her first lead since the first set at 2-1. The Hurricane went on and took the set, 7-5, to even the match.

The first five games were back-and-forth on ties and leads. Noel started to pull away after a 3-2 lead, pushing it to 5-2. Lopata went on to take her last game of the set, before Noel claimed the set, 6-3.

The accolade marks Yaroshuk-Tews’ third career NCAA Singles Champion and second in the past five tournaments.

Canes Win Two Straight At ACC Baseball Championships

I am proud to report that the University of Miami baseball team, a team that was recently on life support machines in the ICU, is alive and well at the 2024 ACC Championships at Truist Field in Charlotte, NC.

In game one against Louisville, Freshman Daniel Cuvet clobbered two home runs, matching the Hurricanes’ freshman single-season record, to propel the 11th seeded Hurricanes to an 8-5 win over 7th seeded Louisville at Truist Field.

In game two that was played on Thursday, Miami took an early lead, but as usual the bullpen struggled giving up several late inning runs and only led by one run late in the game. However, this time the Canes managed to hold on against #2 ranked Clemson with a game saving, circus-like catch at the top of the wall in left field the top of the ninth inning.

The Hurricanes were also aided by a pinch hit home run in the bottom of the 8th inning by Freshman Jake Kulikowski who crushed the ball well over the right field fence. The ball was struck so hard and so convincingly that the Clemson outfielder didn't even make a move to go after the ball, he just looked up and watched it sail way over his head and deep into the stands.

Miami will move on to play in the ACC semifinals on Saturday at either 1 pm or 5 pm with the opponent TBA after Friday's games are completed.

Lady Canes Serve It Hot

For the 25th time in program history, the No. 22 University of Miami women’s tennis team is headed to the Sweet 16 after defeating No. 15 and 14th-seeded Florida on Sunday afternoon.

Miami (13-7, 8-4 ACC) dropped the doubles point to Florida (17-9, 11-2 SEC), but rallied to keep its season alive and become the only Florida school in the NCAA tournament. The win extended Miami’s overall NCAA Team Championship record to 60-37 and marks the first NCAA road win since 2004 at Florida, also known as the biggest upset in NCAA history.

Doubles was tight from start to finish. Despite Leonie Schuknecht and Antonia Balzert dropping court two, 6-2, to Carly Briggs and Qavia Lopez, the other two courts fought hard for the doubles point. Alexa Noel and Audrey Boch-Collins traded points with Rachel Gailis and Bente Spee on court three, but ultimately dropped the court, 6-4, and gave the Gators the doubles point.

Starting at a 3-0 deficit, No. 27 Isabella Pfennig and Xinyi Nong never let up and climbed back. When play was halted, the duo was down 6-5 to Alicia Dudeney and Malwina Rowinska at the top court.

The Gators kept the momentum going into singles, taking court three over Leonie Schuknecht by No. 56 Carly Briggs, 6-2, 6-0. Minutes later, Xinyi Nong grabbed the quick 6-2, 6-2 win on court five over No. 109 Qavia Lopez, putting Miami on the board.

In a top-10 matchup, No. 10 Alexa Noel rolled through the top court in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, over No. 8 Rachel Gailis to tie the match at two-all. Florida went on to take the lead once again after No. 75 Sara Dahlstrom notched court two over No. 47 Isabella Pfennig, 6-4, 6-2.

Needing to win both courts to secure the Hurricane win, it came down to freshman Maria Paula Vargas and senior Audrey Boch-Collins on courts four and six. In only her third match of the season, Vargas stepped on the court and defeated Bente Spee, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 to tie the match back at three-all.

Boch-Collins came back after losing the first set in hopes to secure her team a spot in the Sweet 16. In an intense battle, she claimed court four and Miami’s spot with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Alicia Dudeney.

The Hurricanes now face No. 3 Michigan in the Sweet 16 in Ann Arbor, Mich., on May 11 at 1 p.m.