UNC fifth-year senior Sara Daavettila became the first player in the storied history of the Tar Heel women’s tennis program to reach three NCAA Singles Tournament quarterfinals, with a victory over No. 21 ranked Jessica Failla of Pepperdine in the Round of 16.

Daavettila — the 2021 ACC Player of the Year and the top seed in this event — didn’t need long to cruise to a 6-3, 6-2 victory on Tuesday as she now represents the only Tar Heel remaining in the women’s field.

UNC’s other representative, another fifth-year senior, was Alexa Graham. After a pair of upset victories to reach the Round of 16, Graham fell to No. 2 seed Estela Perez-Sommariba of Miami 6-3, 6-3.

Perez-Sommariba is the most recent NCAA Women’s Singles champion, accomplishing the feat in 2018. She and Daavettila are two of just four ACC players to ever reach three NCAA quarterfinals in their careers.

Daavettila advanced to the quarterfinals as a freshman in 2017 and then again as a junior in 2019, but has yet to reach the semifinals.

On Wednesday, the top seeded Tar Heel will take on Vanderbilt’s Christina Rosca — who came from behind to defeat Duke’s Kelly Chen in three sets by a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

To this point in the season, Daavettila has compiled a 21-1 record in singles competition. Her win on Tuesday over Pepperdine’s top-ranked player delivered a bit of revenge, as Pepperdine ended UNC’s perfect season in the Final Four of the NCAA Team Championship with a stunning 4-3 upset.

The Tar Heels went 30-1 during the dual match season and had won a program-record 48 consecutive matches heading into this year’s Final Four.

Daavettila now stands as one of the team’s final hopes — along with herself and the three other Tar Heels still competing in the NCAA Doubles Tournament — to capture an NCAA championship this season.

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

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