ANN ARBOR, Mich. — On Tuesday, June 10, the University of Michigan women’s tennis team earned five ITA Midwest Regional Awards following their 2025 Big Ten championship win and historic first-ever semifinal appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The award recipients were Ronni Bernstein (Coach of the Year), Ty Schaub (Assistant Coach of the Year), Julia Fliegner (Senior Player of the Year), Piper Charney (Player to Watch), and Emily Sartz-Lunde (Rookie of the Year).
Bernstein, securing her sixth Coach of the Year award, led the Wolverines to a 27-5 record, the 2025 Big Ten title, an NCAA Tournament semifinal berth, and a program-best No. 3 final ranking. She also earned her fourth consecutive Big Ten Coach of the Year honor, her 10th overall, a record in Big Ten women’s tennis history. Schaub, in his debut season with Michigan, won Assistant Coach of the Year, his third such award.
Fliegner capped her standout career with 113 singles wins, fifth all-time at Michigan, and a 33-win season, including a 17-2 dual-match record. She went 16-2 at No. 1 singles, clinching a 4-0 victory over No. 20 Oklahoma State to reach the program’s first Final Four. Fliegner, ranked No. 5 in singles, received the Big Ten Medal of Honor, becoming only the third women’s tennis player to earn it. She is Michigan’s fourth Midwest Senior Player of the Year.
Charney, with a team-high 35 wins (35-10 overall), moved to No. 2 in the lineup, posting a 21-4 dual-match record. She earned All-Big Ten first-team honors with a 9-1 conference record and reached the second round of the 2024 NCAA Singles Championship. With 72 wins in two seasons and a .800 winning percentage (second all-time at Michigan), Charney is the third Wolverine to earn Midwest Player to Watch.
Sartz-Lunde, named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, went 25-9 overall and 14-5 in dual matches, finishing ranked No. 55 in singles. She was the eighth Wolverine to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year and joined the inaugural all-freshman team. Sartz-Lunde is Michigan’s ninth ITA Midwest Rookie of the Year.
Regional winners are in contention for national awards, to be announced Friday, June 13.
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