.@OspreyWTEN Heads to Miami for NCAA Tournament First Round

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of North Florida women's tennis makes it third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years on Friday when the Ospreys face the No. 15 seeded Miami Hurricanes in the First Round at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. Match time is at 2 p.m.

"We are a much physically stronger and mentally tougher program than we were when we played Miami in January, so tomorrow is a great opportunity for us to elevate our growth this season," said fourth-year head coach Audra Cohen, who is a Miami alumna and was the first NCAA Singles Champion in the Hurricanes' history. "As a former player for [Miami head coach] Paige [Yaroshuk-Tews], I know that Miami breeds toughness. We are expecting tough opponents on every court."

Friday is the fourth time overall UNF plays in the Division I NCAA Tournament. The Ospreys reached the tournament in 2010, 2012 and 2013. In 2010, UNF went to Florida State. In both 2012 and 2013, the Ospreys played at Miami.

UNF, who won the Atlantic Sun Regular Season title, earned its trip to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Atlantic Sun Tournament with a 4-1 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Apr. 19 at the UNF Tennis Complex. This was the second time under Cohen in which the Ospreys swept both the Regular Season and the Tournament crowns.

Multiple Ospreys have played strong this spring, recording double digit wins during the dual season. Michelle Valdez has recorded 15 of her 21 victories during the spring season, which included a 13-match winning streak. Also tallying double-digit wins during the spring are Quetzali Vazquez (14 wins), Esther Zuniga (13) and Luise Intert (10). Intert has won her last seven matches, while Vazquez recorded the match-winning point in the Atlantic Sun Championship against Florida Gulf Coast.

For UNF, a trip to Miami's Neil Schiff Tennis Center was the same place where it started the spring. The Ospreys played in Coral Springs for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend Jan. 24-25. UNF was shutout 4-0 by the then-No. 13 Hurricanes on the first day and then dropped a 4-1 decision to the then-No. 53 USF on Jan. 25. Out of the four teams that played in Coral Gables for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, which also included then-No. 30 Florida State, only UNF and Miami are playing in the NCAA Tournament.

Miami makes it 20th-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and is hosting the first two rounds for the 11th year in a row. The Hurricanes come into the match with a 16-6 overall record, but suffered a 4-3 upset to Florida State in the ACC Tournament. Miami have five nationally-ranked singles players in Stephanie Wagner (No. 11), Sinead Lohan (No. 37), Clementina Riobueno (No. 83), Wendy Zhang (No. 108) and Lina Lilekite (No. 115). Additionally, in doubles, Lilekite and Wagner at No. 17 and Riobueno and Monique Albuquerque at No. 72.

Winner of the UNF-Miami match will advance to Saturday's Second Round against the winner of Ole Miss-Denver at 11 a.m., at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.

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Players Mentioned

Luise Intert

Michelle Valdez

Quetzali Vazquez

Esther Zuniga

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