ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan women’s tennis team (27-4) will face No. 2-ranked Texas A&M (29-3) in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon (May 17) at the Hurd Tennis Center. U-M will face the defending national champions at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
This marks the first semifinal appearance for the Maize and Blue in program history after advancing to the quarterfinals in 2016, 2023 and 2024.
Notes
• The No. 3-ranked Wolverines (27-4) have advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history behind a 4-0 win over Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals. U-M won the doubles point and got singles wins from Julia Fliegner (No. 1), Lily Jones (No. 3) and Jessica Bernales (No. 6) in recording the shutout.
• The Wolverines are up to 27 wins this season, the second most in program history. U-M set the record last season with 29 wins, going 29-4. In two of Michigan’s four losses this season, the Wolverines held a match point for the team win.
• Michigan is looking for its first national championship match appearance in program history.
• Three of Michigan’s four wins in the NCAA Tournament have come via shutout, blanking Youngstown State, Arizona State and Oklahoma State. U-M has outscored its opponents 12-3 during this tournament run.
• U-M is 3-3 all-time against Texas A&M, last facing off against the Aggies in a 4-2 Michigan win at the 2017 ITA National Team Indoor Championship. This is the second time the teams are meeting in the NCAA Tournament, with U-M recording a 4-3 win in the second round in 2012 in Ann Arbor.
• Piper Charney is up to 35 singles wins on the season, tied for the sixth most in a single season by a Wolverine. She has recorded back-to-back 30-win seasons to start her career, compiling 72 singles wins over the last two seasons.
• Fliegner was named Michigan’s female recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor, becoming just the third women’s tennis player to earn the prestigious award in program history. She is up to 113 singles wins in her illustrious career, ranking fifth all-time. Fliegner is 17-2 in dual-match action, going 16-2 at the top spot. She has clinched each of Michigan’s last two wins in the NCAA Tournament.
• Michigan has won 15 of the last 16 doubles points, with the streak starting at USC on March 23. U-M only dropped the match’s first point in its third-round win over Texas, rallying for the 4-3 win over the Longhorns.
• U-M has a trio of players who have reached the 30-win mark in singles, marking just the fourth time in program history that three players have won at least 30 matches. Charney leads the way with 35 wins, with Fliegner coming in at 33 wins and Jones recording her 30th win in the victory over Oklahoma State. It is the first time since the 2015 season (Sarah Lee, Ronit Yurovsky and Emina Bektas) that three Wolverines are in the 30-win club. It also happened in 2011 and 2014.
• U-M has four ranked singles players in Fliegner (No. 6), Charney (No. 21), Jones (No. 46) and Emily Sartz-Lunde (No. 68). Jones and Bernales come in at No. 18 as a doubles pair, with Bernales and Charney teaming up to be ranked No. 40. Reese Miller and Fliegner are back in the latest rankings as a pair, ranking No. 45.
• Head coach Ronni Bernstein is in her 18th season as the head coach, holding a 550-196 overall coaching record. She is currently eighth nationally among active coaches in wins. Bernstein ranks 18th all-time in victories.
• The winner of this match will face either No. 1 Georgia or No. 5 North Carolina in the national championship match, set for Sunday (May 18) at 4 p.m. CT.
