Hurricanes’ October off to an up-and-down start

Men’s Tennis

Sophomores Bojan Jankulovski and Adria Soriano Barrera lost their matches at the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men’s All-American Championship.

No. 41-ranked Soriano Barrera fell 4-6, 4-6 to No. 50 Alex Brown. Soriano Barrera trailed in the opening set, 1-5, before winning three straight games.

After three consecutive victories in qualifying rounds, No. 92 Jankulovski earned a spot in the tournament against Wake Forest’s Bar Botzer. The No. 91-ranked Botzer clinched the 2018 NCAA Team Championship for the Demon Deacons.

Botzer grabbed the first set, 6-2, but, Jankulovski didn’t go down without a fight. The southpaw squeaked out on top in the second frame, 7-5.

Jankulovski had a 5-2 advantage in the final set, but Botzer mounted a comeback bringing the match to a tiebreaker.

Botzer defeated Jankulovski, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) and advanced to the next round of the tournament.

Women’s Tennis

No. 3 Estela Perez-Somarriba was upset by No. 103-ranked, Oklahoma States’ Katarina Stresnakova, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 3-6, in the opening match of the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships.

Despite the defeat, Perez-Somarriba wasn’t finished in the tournament.

The 5’5” Spanish sophomore defeated Wisconsin’s Sara Castellano, 6-4, 6-1, crowning her the winner of the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships singles consolation draw.

“Estela did what she had to do when she had to do it and was very coachable [in regards] to making changes when she needed them,” Miami associate head coach Laura Vallverdu told hurricanesports.com. “Her mental game is improving every day and she is believing in the routines more and more.”

Perez-Somarriba is the second Cane in the past three years to win the back draw competition. In 2016, Sinead Lohan also earned a medal by winning the consolation tournament.

Soccer

Miami had both highs and lows throughout its two-game road trip.

The Hurricanes fell behind 2-0 against the Pittsburgh Panthers heading into the halftime break, but freshman forward Gudrun Haralz had other plans.

Haralz notched her first career hat trick, leading Miami to a 3-2 victory. Haralz became just the second Hurricane to notch a second-half, hat trick, joining Laura West Aug. 30, 2000, against West Virginia University.

On Sunday, Oct. 7, the Louisville Cardinals dominated the Hurricanes 3-0 at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium.

Once again, Miami (5-7-2, 2-4 ACC) trailed 2-0 at the intermission, but the Canes were unable to rally.

“We’re obviously disappointed in the way we played today,” coach Sarah Barnes told hurricanesports.com “There were a number of unforced errors that led to their goals and goal scoring opportunities. We have to be committed to playing our game, regardless of the pressure or opponent. When we’ve done that this season, we’ve played very well. When we stray from it, we struggle. I have to do a better job of bringing the team along and demanding that buy-in, game in and game out. We are capable of a much better performance than what we saw today.”

Louisville outshot Miami 18-1 in the match.

The Hurricanes will look to get back on track against No. 11 Boston College 7 p.m. Oct. 13 at Cobb Stadium.

Volleyball

Hurricanes volleyball remained undefeated at home in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

On Friday, Oct. 5, Miami defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels, 3-1. UM handled UNC in four sets, 25-20, 25-22, 15-25, 25-18.

Senior outside hitter Kolby Bird tallied a team-high 16 kills. Freshman phenom Chloe Brown registered a double-double, finishing with 12 kills and 21 digs.

On Sunday, Oct. 7, Miami sent the North Carolina State Wolfpack home packing with a 3-1 win. The Hurricanes put on a defensive showcase with 14 blocks on their way to a 25-18, 25-21, 15-25, 25-21 victory.

Next, Miami visits the Syracuse Orange 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Manley Field House.