STILLWATER, Okla. — In an NCAA Tournament filled with upsets, the 6-seed Pepperdine women's tennis team knocked the final top-three team out of the tournament with its 4-1 win over 3-seed Michigan on Friday afternoon.
After winning the doubles point with two convincing wins, the Waves (21-6, 6-0 West Coast Conference) reached the semifinals for the second time in program history with singles wins from Savannah Broadus, Vivian Yang and Janice Tjen — the latter of whom trailed 5-2 in the second set before coming back to upset #5 Kari Miller of Michigan 6-2, 7-5 on court one to clinch the match.
Like the first time the Waves played the Wolverines, the doubles point was all Pepperdine. In a sign of things to come, all three Pepperdine doubles teams broke the Wolverines in their first games and, for the most part, didn't look back.
Facing off in a top-10 matchup with Michigan's ninth-ranked team of Jaedan Brown and Kari Miller, #2 Broadus and Tjen broke the Wolverines on deuce point in the third game, then consolidated the break for a 3-1 lead — a lead the Waves would not relinquish. The match was played on serve until the Waves broke the Wolverines to go up 5-2, then Pepperdine won match point with Tjen behind the service line in the duo's 6-2 win.
Although the Wolverines countered with a 6-2 win on court three, Nikki Redelijk and Vivian Yang got the job done for Pepperdine with their 6-3 victory over Piper Charney and Reese Miller. After going up a break in the fourth game, the match was played on serve until the ninth game, when Redelijk sprinted up to the net to break the Wolverines on deuce point and clinch their 6-3 victory.
From that point on, the Waves were relentless. Five of the six Pepperdine players won their first sets in singles and all three Waves' singles wins were in straight sets. Despite a win on court five from the Wolverines, the Waves were firing on all cylinders throughout the lineup.
Like she is wont to do, #12 Broadus got on the board first for the Waves with her 6-4, 6-2 win over #57 Gala Mesochoritou at the third position. Broadus went up a break early in her first set and led 4-1 in the fifth game, yet both players traded breaks in the middle of the second set to put the match back on serve. The Pepperdine junior prevailed in the first set with a love hold in the tenth game to win the first set 6-4, but put considerable distance between her and the Michigan senior in the second set. Broadus rattled off the first five games in the second set before Mesochoritou got on the board by winning the next two games. However, Broadus kept composure and held serve in the eighth game to cap off her 6-4, 6-2 victory.
Going into the match, some considered Michigan's depth to be a clear advantage over Pepperdine. Yet the Waves got a massive lift from Vivian Yang, who upset #78 Lily Jones at the sixth position to remain undefeated in the NCAA Tournament.
Riding the high from clinching the doubles point, Yang played near-flawless tennis and quickly bolted out to a 5-0 lead in the first set over the 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Jones held serve in the sixth game and broke Yang to get on the board, but Yang broke back to take the first set 6-2. Then in the second, Yang won the first breakpoint opportunity before both players traded breaks midway through the second set. Yang consolidated the break for 4-1 in the fifth game, then the match was played on serve from that point forward; the Pepperdine freshman held serve in the ninth game to win 6-2, 6-3.
Arguably the most courageous showing of the evening belonged to #39 Tjen, who returned to the top of Pepperdine's lineup and delivered with her match-clinching upset of #5 Kari Miller. Playing against Miller for the first time this season, Tjen broke Miller in the third game and went up a break by holding serve for a 3-1 lead. The match was played on serve until the seventh game, when Tjen broke Miller again en route to taking the first set, 6-2.
However, Miller landed the first punch in the second set. The senior from Ann Arbor, Mich. broke Tjen in the second game and eventually took a double-break lead in the fifth game before Tjen held serve for 4-2. Leading 30-0 and 5-2 in the second set, Tjen began her steady climb back into the match. The Pepperdine senior held serve in the eighth game, broke Miller to stay alive, then fought off several match points before tying the match at five games apiece. Tjen broke Miller for a 6-5 lead, then took a 40-15 lead in the twelfth game.
On match point, Miller dug out Tjen's serve far in the deuce-side corner, then Tjen's forehand at the doubles line sent the Waves into the semifinals.
Tjen's win over Miller was her first top-10 singles victory of the year and the third of her Pepperdine career. For Pepperdine, this is the team's first semifinal appearance since the 2021 NCAA runner-up season. Michigan's season ends with a program-record 29 wins and an outright Big Ten championship.
RESULTS
Singles
1. #39 Janice Tjen (PEPP) def. #5 Kari Miller (MICH) 6-2, 7-5
2. #28 Julia Fliegner (MICH) vs. #15 Lisa Zaar (PEPP) 6-7 (8-10), 2-1, unfinished
3. #12 Savannah Broadus (PEPP) def. #57 Gala Mesochoritou (MICH) 6-4, 6-2
4. #80 Nikki Redelijk (PEPP) vs. Jaedan Brown (MICH) 6-4, 4-3, unfinished
5. #113 Piper Charney (MICH) def. #86 Anna Campana (PEPP) 6-1, 6-4
6. Vivian Yang (PEPP) def. #78 Lily Jones (MICH) 6-2, 6-3
Order of finish: 6,1,3*
Doubles
1. #2 Savannah Broadus/Janice Tjen (PEPP) def. #9 Jaedan Brown/Kari Miller (MICH) 6-2
2. Nikki Redelijk/Vivian Yang (PEPP) def. Piper Charney/Reese Miller (MICH) 6-3
3. Julia Fliegner/Lily Jones (MICH) def. Anna Campana/Lisa Zaar (PEPP) 6-2
Order of finish: 1,3,2*
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