Keeping a winning streak alive is one of the most difficult feats to do in sports. But with its 5-2 win against Notre Dame on Saturday, the North Carolina women’s tennis team made it eight games without losing a game.
The Tar Heels made the quick turnaround trip back to Chapel Hill after their victory against Syracuse on Thursday to face Notre Dame on Saturday, overcoming travel time and changing from indoor courts to outdoor courts.
The Tar Heels quickly took the doubles point behind the victories of junior Hayley Carter and senior Whitney Kay 6-1 and senior Kate Vialle and first year Jessie Aney 6-2. North Carolina increased its lead to 2-0 early in the singles matches due to a retirement by Notre Dame junior Monica Robinson after Kay won the first set 6-3.
But Notre Dame struck back with a victory on Court 4 by junior Mary Closs over Vialle 7-5, 6-0, making the match score 2-1.
Then UNC surged forward with Aney winning easily 6-1, 6-1; along with a clinching victory on court 1 by the top-ranked Carter 6-0, 6-4 despite having to come back to win in the second set.
In the final two matches, the Tar Heels and the Fighting Irish swapped victories with Oullet-Pizer falling 6-3, 6-3 and sophomore Marika Akkerman winning 6-2, 7-5.
Quotable
“This team is very challenge oriented and they don’t vary from them, they like to see how they can overcome them in different ways” said Coach Brian Kalbas.
