After a spring season which saw both programs reach the Round of 16, and successful follow-ups in the fall, the UNC men’s and women’s tennis teams earned high preseason rankings Wednesday. The women’s team, which reached the 2021 Final Four and features ITA doubles champions Elizabeth Scotty and Fiona Crawley, begins the year ranked No. 3 in the nation by ITA Collegiate Tennis.

The men are coming off a Round of 16 appearance last spring under veteran head coach Sam Paul. Paul, who is in his 29th season with the program, is the all-time wins leader in ACC history with 523.

For the women’s team, it’s the third straight year they have been ranked in the top 3 of the preseason poll. They featured at No. 2 in 2020 and No. 1 in 2021. The Tar Heels sit behind only Texas at No. 1 and defending national champions Pepperdine at No. 2, though Carolina did receive one first place vote. Pepperdine defeated UNC in the national semifinals last season on their way to the title.

On the men’s side, Carolina is one of three ACC sides ranked in the top 15, after Virginia at No. 7 and Wake Forest at No. 10. Defending national champions Florida are the unanimous No. 1 pick.

Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams are searching for their first NCAA championships in program history, though both are the defending ITA indoor national champions. The women will get their spring season started Friday in Chapel Hill with the Tar Heel Invite, which runs through Sunday. The men have not yet released their 2022 schedule.

For the full women’s poll, click here. For the full men’s poll, click here.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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 Tennis Wins, Men Lose in 1st Round of NCAA Tournament
The No. 4 overall seed UNC women’s tennis team cruised in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at the Chewning Tennis Center in Chapel Hill, defeating Navy 4-0. A pair of 6-1 wins in doubles secured the early 1-0 advantage for Carolina, and the team was just as dominant in singles. Tar […]
UNC Men's and Women's Tennis Teams Both Earn NCAA Tournament Bids
The UNC men’s and women’s tennis teams will each go dancing this spring, as both Tar Heel sides earned bids to the NCAA Tournament on Monday. The women, having earned an automatic bid by virtue of winning the ACC Tournament title, are the No. 4 overall seed in the field and will host Navy in […]
Chansky's Notebook: Common Denominator
It is no coincidence that two terrific UNC programs used their new home facilities to recruit great players and win trophies.
'We're Gonna Build It the Right Way': New UNC Tennis Center Ready For NCAA Action
UNC's new outdoor facility, the Chewning Tennis Center, appears to have everything a collegiate tennis program would want.
UNC Tennis Teams Earn National Seeds in NCAA Championships; Several Individuals Also Qualify
The UNC men’s and women’s tennis teams will both compete in their respective NCAA Championships this month, and both will do so with a national seed. The women’s program earned the No. 1 overall seed for the third season in a row, while the men earned the No. 16 overall seed. The women’s program enters […]
UNC Men's and Women's Tennis Teams Headed to ITA National Championships
Both the UNC men’s and women’s tennis teams won their respective ITA Kickoff events in Chapel Hill over the weekend, meaning both have earned a spot at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in February. The women’s team, still undefeated on the season and ranked No. 2 in the ITA poll, easily defeated Maryland on […]
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 […]
Eight UNC Tennis Players Named to All-ACC Teams
Five members of the UNC women’s tennis team and three members of the men’s team were named to the 2022 All-ACC teams Thursday. On the women’s side, Cameron Morra was named to the first team, while Elizabeth Scotty, Carson Tanguilig, Reilly Tran and Fiona Crawley were each named to the second team. On the men’s […]
UNC Tennis Programs Both Win Saturday in NCAA Tournament
It was a fun day to be a Carolina fan at Chapel Hill’s Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center Saturday, as both the No. 1 women’s tennis team and No. 15 men’s tennis team won their respective NCAA Tournament matches. The women’s team advanced to Sunday’s second round, while the men are through to the round of 16. […]
UNC Tennis Players Receive Individual Bids to NCAA Championships
In addition to both the UNC men’s and women’s teams receiving national seeds in their respective NCAA team tournaments, six players from either team and three doubles pairs also earned bids to the NCAA individual championships this week. On the women’s side, the doubles team of Elizabeth Scotty and Fiona Crawley, who won the 2021 […]
›