University of Georgia Athletics
University of Georgia
Michigan
Kowalski Clinches Georgia’s NCAA Semifinals Berth
May 17, 2023 | Women's Tennis
LAKE NONA, Fla. – A come-from-behind win in doubles and victories in the heart of the singles lineup sent the fourth-seeded Georgia women's tennis team past fifth-seeded Michigan and into the NCAA national semifinals.
With Georgia's 4-0 win on Wednesday at the USTA National Campus, it marks the program's 15th appearance in the NCAA semifinals and second in the last four seasons (excluding 2020 COVID year).
The Bulldogs improve to 26-4 overall and will play No. 1-seed North Carolina in the national semifinals Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
"Court three in doubles played great and got us on the board there," head coach Jeff Wallace said. "Court two was down 4-0, and for those guys to come back and win that tiebreaker, with the way that match played out, that was absolutely huge.
"Mell did a great job getting a straight-set singles win, and Anastasiia also getting a straight-set singles win, both those matches were tough, hard fought, really great tennis. Meg was battling, gets close in the first set and gets way down and comes back. A fifth year senior against a freshman, that's kind of what you want to see in that situation. Meg just played absolutely incredible. It's a nice win, and I thought Michigan played great."
In doubles, Meg Kowalski and Lea Ma cruised to a 6-1 win at court No. 3, but nothing looked easy at the top two spots, with Georgia trailing 3-1 at No. 1 and 4-0 at No. 2.
Michigan's tandem of Jaedan Brown and Andrea Cerdan fought off Georgia's Mell Reasco and Dasha Vidmanova, 6-4, setting up a deciding match at the second position.
The Bulldogs' No. 25-ranked duo of Gigi Grant and Mai Nirundron were down 4-0 and then 5-3 before battling back to force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Grant and Nirundron won four of the last five points to clinch doubles with a 7-6 (4) victory against Julia Fliegner and Lily Jones.
Up 1-0, Georgia took first-set wins at all six singles courts, including a trio of tiebreakers at the third, fifth and sixth spots.
With the Bulldogs down or even in second and third sets at courts one, two and six, the match was far from over. No. 81-ranked Anastasiia Lopata delivered the first singles victory for the Bulldogs, using a 6-3, 6-4 triumph to put Georgia up 2-0.
Then, No. 63-ranked Reasco, who battled through a 12-10 first-set tiebreaker, quickly put the Bulldogs up 3-0 with her 7-6 (10), 6-3 victory at the third singles position.
Needing just one more court to clinch the match, Kowalski won her 14th-straight match of the season to send Georgia to the semifinals.
"This is a great feeling," said Kowalski. "Our entire team was fighting out there. Georgia is a special place. I think back to four years ago and my freshman year, and seeing where we've come on this journey is really neat."
Friday's semifinals matchup between No. 4 seed Georgia and No. 1 seed North Carolina will air either on the Tennis Channel or Cracked Racquets.
Tennis Match Results
Georgia vs Michigan
May 17, 2023 at Orlando, Fla.
(USTA National Campus)
#4 Georgia 4, #5 Michigan 0
Singles Results
1. #36 Kari Miller (MICH) vs. #3 Lea Ma (UGA) 0-6, 7-5, 3-0, unfinished
2. #27 Jaedan Brown (MICH) vs. #4 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) 5-7, 6-1, 1-1, unfinished
3. #63 Mell Reasco (UGA) def. #51 Julia Fliegner (MICH) 7-6 (10), 6-3
4. #81 Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) def. Andrea Cerdan (MICH) 6-3, 6-4
5. #125 Meg Kowalski (UGA) def. #79 Lily Jones (MICH) 7-6 (1), 7-5
6. #113 Gala Mesochoritou (MICH) vs. Gigi Grant (UGA) 6-7 (4), 5-4, unfinished
Doubles Results
1. Jaedan Brown/Andrea Cerdan (MICH) def. Dasha Vidmanova/Mell Reasco (UGA) 6-4
2. #25 Gigi Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) def. Julia Fliegner/Lily Jones (MICH) 7-6 (4)
3. Meg Kowalski/Lea Ma (UGA) def. Merri Kelly/Kari Miller (MICH) 6-1
Match Notes:
Georgia 26-4; National ranking #4
Michigan 25-4; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (4,3,5)
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Players Mentioned
