Blaine Boyden did it again.
Monday saw the UNC men’s tennis sophomore put the finishing touches on yet another historic victory for the program–as the No. 9 Tar Heels defeated the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs by a team score of 4-3 in the NCAA Semifinals.
The match was played in on Georgia’s campus at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, before a four-hour rain delay forced the proceedings to be moved inside for the conclusion.
After clinching UNC’s first ever Final Four appearance in thrilling fashion over the weekend, Boyden’s match point on Monday ensured the Tar Heels would have a chance to play Tuesday for their first ever NCAA Championship in the sport.
The Raleigh native pulled off a three-set victory (7-6, 4-6, 6-3) over Georgia’s Robert Loeb, which helped break what was a tight 3-3 tie through the first six team points.
UNC (29-4) continued its run of dominance in doubles play, as it won the opening point just as it has in each of its previous four NCAA Tournament matches this season.
Once singles competition got underway, however, Georgia responded by winning three of the first five matches–tying the team score and putting all the focus on Court 6, where Boyden was taking on Loeb.
Having waited out a long rain delay during UNC’s Quarterfinal win over No. 1 Wake Forest, Boyden was no stranger to the situation–again coming up clutch when his team needed him the most.
Up Next:
Now, the Tar Heels–who set a program record for wins in a single season–will play on Tuesday for a national championship against No. 2 Virginia.
The teams have met three times this season, with the Cavaliers winning each time. Virginia has accounted for all but one of UNC’s losses in 2017.
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