Jan. 30, 2010

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Competing in the opening round of the second annual ITA Kick-Off Weekend, the Boston University women's tennis team dropped a 7-0 decision to seventh-ranked Miami on Saturday afternoon at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. Featuring three ranked singles players and the No. 3 doubles team in the country, the Hurricanes improved to 2-0, while the injury-plagued Terriers dropped to 0-3 on the season.

BU received the invite to participate in the tournament leading to the National Team Indoor Championships by virtue of finishing in the top 60 ITA rankings at the end of the 2008-09 season. The Terriers were sent to the Coral Gables region having to beat the Hurricanes and then either Mississippi State or College of Charleston to advance further.

Unable to put six players on the court, BU had to forfeit the No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles matches. UM's highly touted pairing of Gabriela Mejia/Laura Vallverdu started the day by capturing the doubles point by defeating Monika Mical / Francine Whu, 8-2. Anna Bartenstein/Bianca Eichkorn completed the sweep with a 8-3 win over Jessi Linero / Petra Santini.

In singles action at the top position, No. 7 Vallverdu blanked Whu in the first set but ran into trouble in the second before earning a 6-0, 6-4 victory. Mical captured the most games for BU with five at No. 4, as Danielle Mills pulled out a 6-3, 6-2 victory.

In earlier action, MSU defeated College of Charleston, 5-2, and will face the host Hurricanes at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Terriers will face the Cougars at 10 a.m. in the consolation round.

#7 Miami 7, Boston 0

Singles
1. #7 Laura Vallverdu (UM) def. Francine Whu (BU) 6-0, 6-4
2. Anna Bartenstein (UM) def. Jessi Linero (BU) 6-2, 6-2
3. #99 Bianca Eichkorn (UM) def. Petra Santini (BU) 6-1, 6-1
4. Danielle Mills (UM) def. Monika Mical (BU) 6-3, 6-2
5. #93 Gabriela Mejia (UM) def. Inayat Khosla (BU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Claudia Wasilewski (UM) def. No player (BU), by default
Order of finish: 3,2*,1