The North Carolina women's tennis team (33-1, 14-0 ACC) overcame its first loss of the doubles point this season to defeat UCLA (21-8, 8-2) 4-1 on Friday, sending the Tar Heels to their third ever NCAA Championship Final Four.
What happened?
Coming into the match, No. 1 North Carolina was riding a 34-match doubles winning streak dating back to last season. That streak was promptly snapped by the Bruins, who used wins over the No. 12 duo of Makenna Jones and Cameron Morra and the duo of Sara Daavettila and Alle Sanford to grab an early 1-0 lead. Though the second-ranked pairing of Jessie Aney and Alexa Graham won their doubles match, 6-3, the Tar Heels were put in an unfamiliar position, to say the last: trailing heading into singles play.
Any feelings of discomfort didn't seem to last, however. North Carolina dominated singles play, winning four matches and rendering the other two incomplete, bouncing back in impressive fashion to clinch the win.
Sanford was first to finish, making short work of her opponent in a quick 6-1, 6-0 win to tie the match at one. No. 46 Morra was close behind, posting a 6-2, 6-3 victory, and No. 7 Alexa Graham's defeated No. 32 Elysia Bolton of UCLA to take a 3-1 lead.
It was No. 20 Davvettila who clinched the win for the Tar Heels, defeating the Bruins' Ayan Broomfield 6-2, 6-3 to send her team to the Final Four.
Who stood out?
Graham dominated in both of her matches, keeping her stellar record with Aney alive in doubles play and cruising past a ranked opponent in singles.
With an opportunity to clinch, Davvettila left nothing to chance, and her 6-2, 6-3 singles win was the nail in the coffin for the Bruins that also punched a Final Four ticket for the Tar Heels.
