Tennis

The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame announced eight inductees for the class of 2020, meaning a new class of former Hurricanes will be recognized for their athletic accomplishments.

Here's a summary of how UM's sports teams performed from Sept. 24-Sept. 29.

Rivalries aren’t only exclusive to football. The University of Miami’s club tennis team finished off last season as regional champions. In their 2019-2020 season opener at the University of Florida, however, they suffered a close 25-24 defeat to the Gators in the final.

Here's a roundup of how UM sports teams performed last week.

“I’m used to playing with a bandana,” Achong said. “It’s a habit. I’ve always played with a bandana since I was 12 years old.”

“Listen, It’s not about me, it’s about these kids,” the 18th-year coach said. “I’m happy for them they needed this for their confidence. We’ve had a few close matches against some good programs, so you know I think that this time of the year, for this group, this is big moving forward for our confidence. Heading in to finishing out our ACC schedule I think they really needed it. I’m happy for them.”

“We fight,” sophomore guard Mykea Gray said, who led UM with 19 points. “That’s one thing I can say about our team. No matter how down we are at the moment, we always find a way to bounce back.”

“I want to be ranked first, honestly,” Perez-Somarriba said. “That’s the reason why I wake up in the morning and I go to practice and give my best. Obviously, winning the national title is in my mind. Daily work is the only way to impact those results. All the accolades are extra. I’m improving so much as a person. I’m learning so much from my coaches, from my teammates so all these accolades are great, but they’re extra.”

“It’s very closely mimicking life,” he said. “Points are played, and they’re either won or lost. That’s how I looked at it. You either win or you lose. Every time you step on the line, you have the opportunity to do it again. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from competing in tennis. That’s something I try to pass down to my players.”

“I am very pleased in the way our guys competed today,” said Hurricanes coach Aljosa Piric. “I am very pleased in the way over guys showed up to battle against a tough FAU team. This is a good team that we just beat and it should just give our guys a lot of confidence going forward.”

“They were heroic with their rotations. If I was a shooter, I wouldn’t want either one of these two running at me.”

"It was a special game for me, a special moment," Cornelius said. "I wasn't really nervous, but it was really special. I was really excited. We played well. I got to scored again. I got to pass again, run through the smoke again, this time in a jersey, not in a sweatsuit."