Squad finishes year ranked No. 8 after tournament

Think men’s basketball is the only team that can steal the spotlight? Think again.
The Miami women’s tennis team had a record-breaking year of its own, reaching the Elite 8 at the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season.
In an unprecedented run of success, the dominant Canes – consistently ranked in the top 10 – stormed past No. 11 Northwestern to make the national quarterfinals in Urabana, Ill.
Coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said Miami benefits from its daunting ACC schedule each year.
“The ACC is the best conference to play in, because you know you’re playing the best every weekend,” she said. “Your ACC Tournament could potentially be a quarterfinal match at the NCAA Tournament.
The magic ended when Miami was shut out by No. 3 Texas A&M, 4-0. But the progress the Canes made with four first-year collegiate players on the court in 2013 will be a motivator going forward.
Miami claimed its first ACC Tournament title as well.
“Looking back on the season, I think this group overachieved,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “For them to do what they have done and come as far as they have come, I’m proud of them. I’m proud of the season they’ve had.”
The Hurricanes were anchored by an international core. Freshman Stephanie Wagner of Amberg, Germany played No. 1 singles and rose to 60th in the country. Clementina Riobueno, a freshman from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, built an impressive collection of singles and doubles wins.
Undoubtedly the climax of the 2013 season was a weekend homestand against North Carolina and Duke.
The team rode a long winning streak into an afternoon matchup with No. 1 North Carolina, but the Tar Heels were too much for Miami to handle.
Carolina grabbed the doubles point after Kelsey Laurente and Melissa Bolivar lost a 9-8 thriller. The Canes’ third doubles tandem had several match points during the two-hour set.
Bolivar took the first singles point with her 6-2, 6-2 win over Tessa Lyons, but the top-ranked Tar Heels did not surrender another singles match.
Miami rebounded quickly, though, rounding back into form with a shutout of No. 9 Duke that same weekend.
Clementina Riobueno engineered the Canes’ best singles performance. She took a 6-4, 4-3 lead on Duke’s Marianne Jodoin before Miami clinched the win and the match went unfinished. Jodoin had won 21 straight.
The Canes finished the year ranked No. 8 after their record-setting performance at the NCAA Tournament.