Loeb’s championship win caps historic season for UNC women's tennis

“Successful.”

This was the word used by North Carolina women’s tennis sophomore Jamie Loeb to describe the 2014-15 season after she played her way to the top of the collegiate tennis realm in the NCAA Women’s Singles Championships in Waco, Texas.

Loeb was seeded seventh in the tournament, but that did not stop her from becoming number one.

“This season was long, and I finished up exactly how I wanted to,” Loeb said after Monday’s championship match, which she won 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 against Stanford’s Carol Zhao.

Loeb rose to the top in dramatic fashion, as all but one match in her tournament run went three sets.

“(Stephanie) Wagner really pushed me hard, but all of the matches were difficult,” Loeb said.

Loeb joined 2007 doubles champions Sara Anundsen and Jenna Long as the only NCAA champions in UNC women’s tennis history.

While Loeb eventually defeated each of her opponents, another factor delayed her victory: A myriad of thunderstorms that forced some of the matches to be moved indoors.

“It didn’t phase me. I knew going in there was the chance of the match being moved indoors, and I feel comfortable playing on either surface,” Loeb said.

Coach Brian Kalbas expressed how proud he was of Loeb after Monday’s match but also mentioned how the day’s occurrences kept reality from sinking in.

“It was a crazy experience. Jamie won indoors, and then we were ushered into a safer building because of tornado warnings,” he said. “I’m really happy for her.”

Along with Loeb, senior Caroline Price and sophomore Hayley Carter were also selected to play in the singles portion of the tournament, while the duo of Loeb and Price garnered a seed in the doubles tournament.

Price finished her singles career Friday when her second round loss brought her season record to 39-8. Price leaves UNC ranked second in career wins with 128.

Carter battled against Baylor’s Ema Burgic, but Burgic snuck away with a first round win.

Loeb and Price started off well in doubles with a first round three-set victory on Thursday before bowing out Friday in the second round.

Price was the lone senior on the UNC squad this year and acted as a leader for the young squad, including Loeb.

Price spoke nothing but praises for the team she came to know as family.

“This year’s team, we liked to call ourselves the notorious nine and really felt like a family,” she said.

But Loeb said it best. With her singles championship win capping a record year for the program, the only word that could describe the 2014-15 season for UNC was, “successful.”

sports@dailytarheel.com