Two outstanding Tar Heel student-athletes are being recognized for their achievements on the field and in the classroom.

Sara Daavettila of women’s tennis and Chris Gray of men’s lacrosse, both of whom graduated from Carolina in 2021, were named Academic All-Americans Monday by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America. Daavettila was named to the third team and Gray to the second team.

They are the third and fourth Tar Heels to earn the honor for the 2020-21 academic year, as Brianna Pinto and Rachel Jones of the women’s soccer team were both also named Academic All-Americans.

Daavettila and Gray were the only ACC student-athletes in their respective sports to earn the honor. Gray is the first UNC men’s lacrosse player to be named an Academic All-American since 1996.

Daavettila, a communications major, was named the 2021 ACC Player of the Year and is the only women’s tennis player in the history of UNC to reach three NCAA quarterfinals. The UNC women’s tennis team won three ITA Indoor National Championships during her time at Carolina, and her 149 career wins rank second in program history.

Gray, a management and society major, was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year and Men’s Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2021 while leading UNC to the Final 4 for the first time since 2016. He also earned national honors as a first-team All-American and won the Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the most outstanding players in men’s and women’s lacrosse. He will return to UNC for the 2021-22 academic year to pursue his MBA at the Kenan-Flagler Business School.

 

Featured image via Carolina Athletics

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

 

Related Stories
‹
UNC Women's Lacrosse Ranked No. 1 in Preseason Polls
The defending national champions are still No. 1. The UNC women’s lacrosse team received the top spot in the Nike/USA Lacrosse and Inside Lacrosse preseason polls. Carolina is coming off an undefeated 2022 season which ended in a national championship. Picking up right where we left off. 📰 » https://t.co/3apzZtndHv pic.twitter.com/a4ZSYsBKCN — UNC Women's Lacrosse […]
Price, Sankey Win Patterson Medals
The Patterson Medal is UNC's highest athletic honor.
North Carolina Finishes 8th Again In Directors' Cup
UNC’s eighth place finish in the Director’s Cup is the highest finish among ACC schools.
UNC Men's Lacrosse Beats No. 3 Syracuse in ACC Opener
No. 2 UNC earned another ranked win Saturday in a heavyweight clash vs. No. 3 Syracuse, beating the Orange 14-9 at Dorrance Field. 🗣️ HEELS WIN#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/KVdR277PVR — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) April 4, 2026 UNC took a 1-0 lead inside a minute off an opening goal from Dominic Pietramala, but fell behind […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Head Coach Joe Breschi Agrees to Contract Extension Through 2029
UNC men’s lacrosse head coach Joe Breschi, the winningest coach in program history, has agreed to a three-year contract extension through the end of the 2029 season. 𝑬𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 ✍️ Head Coach Joe Breschi has signed a three-year contract extension, through the 2029 season. #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/tcrmdWmOtG — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) April 2, 2026 Breschi has […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Trounces No. 3 Harvard; ACC Play Next
No. 4 UNC used an 8-1 run across the second and third quarters to blow open Sunday’s matchup with No. 3 Harvard in Maryland and roll to a 17-7 win. It was the first loss of the season for the Crimson, who had received a first-place vote in this week’s national poll. 🗣️ HEELS WIN#GoHeels […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Dominate Boston College, Men Outlast Army
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each picked up wins against ranked foes at Dorrance Field Saturday afternoon. The top-ranked women’s team soundly beat Boston College, while the fifth-ranked men held on to beat Army. Both the Eagles and Black Knights are ranked No. 16 in the national polls. The women led off the […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Beats No. 9 Penn State in Crown Lacrosse Classic
UNC used clutch goals from Dominic Pietramala, Brevin Wilson and Owen Duffy to secure a 10-8 win against No. 9 Penn State at The Crown Lacrosse Classic in Charlotte Saturday night. 🗣️ HEELS WIN#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/0bUNOCDofZ — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) March 15, 2026 Though the three fourth-quarter goals from Pietramala, Duffy and Wilson […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men, Women Both Dominate in Home Wins
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each picked up comfortable home wins Saturday, with the top-ranked women defeating Pitt 19-3 and the No. 5 men defeating Brown 19-7. The women were up first Saturday, and they quickly took control with two goals in the opening two minutes. The first half was all Tar Heels, […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men's and Women's Teams Both Ranked No. 1 in Latest Polls
As of Feb. 23, 2026, Chapel Hill is the center of the collegiate lacrosse world. The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are both ranked No. 1 in the latest Inside Lacrosse polls, which were released Monday. 𝗡𝗼. 𝟭 𝗨!@UNCMensLacrosse joins @uncwlax at the top spot in the Week 3️⃣ @kanefootwear Media Polls. pic.twitter.com/ckKe35KDZT — […]
›