Miami’s women’s tennis team had stood moments away from defeating a top-15 USC team in Waco, Texas.
But nine days later, the No. 23 Hurricanes found a way to win in a top-20 battle against No. 17 Old Dominion.
“We need to use the momentum from this match moving forward,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “We fought to the bitter end, and we played some big tennis in the big moments. I’m proud of this team’s effort today.”
Pfennig, 5-0 in dual-match competition, rallied late versus Old Dominion’s Marina Alcaide. The sophomore’s 5-4 advantage in the final set grew from a 4-3 deficit, and led to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 No. 3 singles victory and Miami’s 4-3 win at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center Saturday.
UM started strong in the doubles setting. No. 40-ranked doubles duo Daevenia Achong and Eden Richardson defeated Tatsiana Sasnouskaya and Alesya Yakubovich 6-0. Audrey Boch-Collins and Pfennig’s 6-1 doubles victory over Alcaide and Shahar Biran lifted the Hurricanes (4-1) to a 1-0 lead.
The doubles competitions wrapped up quickly, aside from one unfinished. Singles, however, lengthened the afternoon to over 3 ½ hours.
No. 104-ranked Achong increased Miami’s advantage to 2-0, defeating No. 116 Sasnouskaya 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 after nearly two hours. Richardson, 4-3 overall, fell to No. 71 Yuliia Starodubtseva having dropped the final two sets, nonetheless.
And from that point, Old Dominion climbed out of its early deficit.
Sofia Johnson of the Monarchs edged third-year sophomore Maya Tahan, coming from behind with back-to-back 6-4 victories and a leveled score at three. No. 106 Alexandra Viktorovich also toppled Boch-Collins 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) deep into the meeting, setting up the close finish in Coral Gables.
The UM women are back home for a clash against No. 18 Central Florida on Feb. 20 at noon, prior to the start of Atlantic Coast Conference action.