Yellow Jackets Stingless In UNC's Weekend Win

With the efficiency of a Fortune 500 company, the No. 8 Tar Heels beat the 21st-ranked Yellow Jackets 5-2 at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

First, UNC (13-3, 2-0) won the doubles point by sweeping all three doubles matches. Straight-set wins by Marlene Mejia, Julie Rotondi and Aniela Mojzis in singles clinched the businesslike victory.

Mejia disposed of Tech's Mysti Morris 6-3, 6-4 and was never worried about losing.

"I knew as the match progressed that I could win," Mejia said. "I had a couple hiccups, but I played well when I needed to."

Tech (11-6, 1-3) did manage two wins in the singles portion of the match, and UNC coach Jen Callen said the Yellow Jackets tested the Tar Heels more than it might have seemed.

"Georgia Tech was a tough opponent," she said. "It was a tougher match than the score would indicate."

The match was especially tough on No. 2 singles player Kate Pinchbeck. She fought off cramps to defeat Jaime Wong in three sets, 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-2.

The set was only the second Pinchbeck has lost in the spring season. She improved her spring record to 16-0.

Pinchbeck partially attributed her slow start to a change in playing surfaces: "This was our first outside match (at home), and the outside courts here are really slow. To be honest, I really don't like them."

Pinchbeck's match was late in its second set when the outcome of the team match was decided.

Knowing that her team had won and cramping up in the beating sun, how did Pinchbeck motivate herself to make the comeback?

"I really was thinking about my winning streak," Pinchbeck said. "I was thinking, 'I can't end my winning streak on her.'

"I know that sounds bad. I just didn't want to end it playing the way I was playing."

The winning streak continues for Pinchbeck and for the Tar Heels, which have run off six straight.

UNC still must face No. 2 Wake Forest and No. 7 Duke, two more standouts in the hyper-competitive ACC.

The team, though, is as fearless as a slick-haired executive.

"We know we can beat anybody," Mejia said. "We can beat all the top teams. We know this is the time to do it."

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.