“We have our eyes set on a national championship,” Price
said. “So (we're) trying to do whatever we can to keep getting better and keep
toward eventually winning that.”
Freshman Hayley Carter , who also had both a singles and a
doubles victory, agreed with Price. Carter teamed up with fellow freshman Jamie Loeb in a 8-2 doubles victory before cruising to a 6-3, 6-2 win in the No. 2 singles spot.
“I want to help get the team to win an NCAA title, and I
want to see how I do in NCAA singles and doubles,” she said. “I think there are a
lot of teams this year that have a chance this year, and hopefully we will be
able to prove that we are the best team.”
North Carolina’s continued success can be attributed to a
mixture of elements, depending on who you ask.
Price said she thinks the team bonded and found its identity after the Virginia match — in which No. 12 UNC defeated the No. 5 Cavaliers — while Carter said motivation has been a key.
“We have been playing with a lot of energy,” Carter said. “We
have gone out and taken matches instead of hoping things are going to go
easily. We are just really motivated.”
Coach Brian Kalbas said his team is approaching each game
differently.
“I know at the Duke loss, we had a little heart-to-heart, and
we kind of had to reassess what we wanted to accomplish,” Kalbas said. “We
aren’t expecting things to happen, we are actually making things happen. So I
think we have a different perspective on how we need to prepare in practice and
compete, and I think our change in attitude has really helped us.
"I think we are getting better, we are getting stronger, we
are getting healthier. Every spot in the lineup is competitive for us right
now, so that’s encouraging. And I think we are on the right path to play our
best tennis in May, which is what our goal is.”
sports@dailytarheel.com
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