Cameron Morra and Alle Sanford lead UNC to Senior Day win over Georgia Tech

All eyes were set on Cameron Morra on court one. The North Carolina women's tennis match against Georgia Tech had been decided nearly an hour earlier, so there shouldn't have been any pressure at all.

Yet the intensity of the moment for Morra — trying to capture a singles win on her Senior Day — made it feel like the deciding match.

Morra, who dropped the second set 6-3 to end up in a 10-point tiebreaker, was unfazed. She was rather poised as she stood on the baseline opposite of Georgia Tech’s Carol Lee. She’d been here before.

“I've had a lot of template tiebreakers,” Morra said laughing after the match.

Morra is no stranger to close matches being the top singles player. Not even on this day, as her and fellow senior Alle Sanford found themselves down 3-2 in their doubles match.

But being seniors with plenty of experience, there was no reason to deviate from the game plan.

“It was just a matter of kind of weathering the storm a little bit, getting comfortable,” Sanford said. “Making sure that we remember to play our games, which is offensive and going for our shots.”

With great efficiency on the baseline and superb winners at the net, Morra and Sanford prevailed as they won the next four games to win 6-3, and more importantly, clinched the crucial doubles point against a competitive Yellow Jackets doubles lineup to secure a 7-0 overall win.

“To win at one and two doubles, our seniors clinching the doubles point was just gigantic,” head coach Brian Kalbas said. “Some of the best doubles we played all year long.”

As the lone two seniors on the team, the comeback win with Sanford meant the world to Morra.

“I love playing with Alle," she said. "She's my best friend on and off the court, so the fact that we got to play together and it's our Senior Day meant a lot."

This momentum carried over into the singles as Fiona Crawley, Elizabeth Scotty and Anika Yarlagadda won their matches in straight sets to clinch the match.

Morra won her first set, 6-3, but got off to a slow start in the second, finding herself down 4-1. Even though she knew her team had already secured the match victory, Morra stayed locked in to try and fight back in her match when things weren’t going her way.

“I was just trying to stay positive, again, enjoy the moment,” Morra said. “You have to act like the match matters no matter what because at some point it always does.”

Although she fell in the second set, 6-3, Morra’s mentality set her up for success. Rally after rally she battled with Lee, ripping her signature two-handed forehand across the net. Her consistency shined while she played out points, waiting for her opportunity to go for the kill.

Even after she missed what would’ve been a winner wide right at the net, she regrouped and set out to win the next point.

“Cam really had a lot of bravery and just toughness and guts and just really stepped up,” Kalbas said. “(She) played her game, went forward and was more aggressive at the end.”

With the score at 9-7 and an opportunity to get the match point, another tough rally ensued, but with a flurry of crosscourt backhands, Morra came out victorious. The crowd cheered at her electric performance as she walked up to Lee at the net to conclude the match.

As they stepped off the court at the Chapel Hill Tennis Club for the last time, the two seniors reflected on what their final home win meant to their UNC careers that are now reaching the finish line.

“The last five years has been the greatest I could have ever imagined,” Sanford said. “And playing here in front of the fans and with Cam, and for my coaches and teammates, I’m just so grateful.”

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