The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 13 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Piper Charney was named a first-team All-American in singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in 2025. Charney, whose sister, Emma, plays at USC, had posted a 21-9 overall record in singles this season through the April 12 match against Oakland. Here are some things about Charney you may not have known: Best Aspect Of Being From Charleston, S.C.: "Definitely being right on the water. I love that whenever I go home I'm a 10-minute drive if I want to go walk on the beach or go on the boat. Friends are always going on the boat. It's just nice out. Being outside is great, especially [escaping] from the Michigan winters." Favorite Restaurant In Ann Arbor: "Black Pearl." Best Meal She Can Cook By Herself: "Some- thing more intricate, either spaghetti squash pad Thai or homemade mac and cheese. But my favorite is something simple like sheet pan roasted veggies and some type of meat." Favorite Professional Athlete: "I always loved Serena Williams. She was the GOAT, in my opinion." Sport She Enjoys Besides Tennis: "Skiing. My best friend's family and my family would go somewhere different out West for spring break each year." Favorite Movie: "This is kind of cringey, but I love sports feel-good movies like 'Hoosiers' or 'Miracle on Ice' or 'The Blind Side.'" Favorite TV Show: "'The Office,' 'Gilmore Girls' and 'Young Sheldon.'" Why She Chose Michigan: "I was a good recruit, but I definitely had a bit of an attitude issue, I would say, to put it lightly. And [head coach] Ronni [Bernstein] just never wavered on me; she was always big on wanting me to come to Michigan, no matter what other people were saying or what was going on. Also, when I visited, I remember comparing all the other facilities and atmospheres — be- cause I got to go to The Big House — and that just really stood out to me." What She Hopes To Do After Michigan: "Something in the sports industry, hopefully. I did an internship last year in sales with the Red Sox. I didn't like sales, but I did like work- ing for the baseball team. I'm just figuring out what I like more because I have another year. And then maybe seeing if I can keep playing tennis." Favorite Memory At Michigan: "When we won Big Tens, and then we celebrated as a team afterward. That's always so much fun. We'll go do karaoke and hang out, some extra- curriculars. That's always a blast." Overall Experience At Michigan: "The best way I can put it is I don't think anything that's happened, especially in my college tennis ca- reer, would be possible if I hadn't chosen Michigan. I've done things that are above and beyond what I ever thought I could do in college tennis. I hoped I would end up being good, but to get to this point, I owe everything to the fact that I came here and to Ronni and the coaches. And my teammates have always supported and pushed me. "Looking back, I don't think there's a more perfect place I could have chosen, or a place where everything would work out so well for me, even in the hard times." — Clayton Sayfie ❱ Getting To Know Women's Tennis Junior Piper Charney Charney was tabbed first-team All-Big Ten in 2025. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY