The No. 2 UNC women’s tennis team continued its perfect start to the 2022 dual season over the weekend, sweeping past Charlotte and Tulsa in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend event in Chapel Hill.

By winning the event, the Tar Heels qualified for the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, to be played in Madison, WI, from February 11 through February 14. Carolina is the two-time defending indoor national champion.

UNC dropped only one set on Friday against Charlotte, and handily won the doubles portion of the match with strong showings from all three teams. Reilly Tran, Fiona Crawley and Elizabeth Scotty each won their singles matches in straight sets to secure UNC’s victory over the 49ers, with Crawley dropping just two games in two sets.

The Tar Heels were even more dominant against Tulsa the next day, dropping only four games in the four matches which were completed. Scotty, Tanguilig and Anika Yarlagadda each put up 6-0 sets in their singles matches, with Tran, Morra and Crawley sitting on 5-0 set leads before Carolina’s team victory ended play. Scotty and Crawley took their doubles match in dominant fashion as well, 6-0.

“We were absolutely relentless today,” said UNC head coach Brian Kalbas. “This was our first real competitive situation this season. A little more pressure, you’re playing in a tournament. You’re playing to qualify for something.”

The Tar Heels will be one of 16 teams competing in Madison for the ITA national title. Among the teams joining them are No. 1 Texas, No. 8 NC State, No. 9 Virginia and No. 3 Georgia. Carolina was scheduled to host Georgia in a dual match in Chapel Hill on January 22, but saw that match postponed due to COVID protocols.

The Carolina men’s tennis team also hosted and competed in the Kick-Off Weekend, with the team sweeping past Northwestern in the semifinal match on Saturday. Mac Kiger and Benjamin Sigouin earned ranked wins in singles against the Wildcats, and the 20th-ranked doubles team of Logan Zapp and Casey Kania dominated to secure the match.

But it would be a different story against No. 5 Ohio State on Sunday. Sigouin, Zapp and Henry Lieberman each fell in singles, and though Kiger and Brian Cernoch earned a ranked win in doubles, the Buckeyes took the other two doubles matches to earn the sweep over the Tar Heels. With the loss, UNC, the defending indoor national champion, will not compete in this year’s ITA team indoor championships.

The team’s next scheduled dual match will come at Illinois on February 5.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini

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