Diego Jarry's voice, leadership propels UNC men's tennis past No. 25 Miami

It's hard to miss the sounds of senior Diego Jarry leading chants and hyping up teammates during matches. 

"Tar," he shouts down court, imploring his team to keep fighting. He does it any time he notices a UNC player win a point or feel a momentum shift. 

"Heels," his teammates always yell back. The crowd joins in, too. 

Jarry's loud with his encouragement. It echos through the Chewning Tennis Center.

After transferring from Saint Mary's in California, Jarry has become a vocal leader in his first season with a young North Carolina men's tennis team. But on Friday night, almost four hours after UNC’s match against Miami began, it was his teammates' turn to hype him up. The match was tied 3-3. It came down to the third set. 

Late-game heroics and leadership from Jarry helped UNC secure a 4-3 win over No. 25 Miami at the Chewning Tennis Center. The Tar Heels extended their winning streak to three behind Jarry's performance. 

“Best match we’ve played this year,” head coach Sam Paul said. 

Jarry spent the first three years of his career at Saint Mary’s. The transfer process to UNC wasn't easy. 

“It was tough," Jarry said. "I left behind a lot of family over there, so I was taking a big step to something different, something unknown."

He turned to his coaches for support, who have made it easy for the senior to call Chapel Hill home.

Despite the transition, Jarry has become a leader on the team. He communicates and gives advice during doubles matches. He is the first one to start cheers from the sideline. 

“I like to take the initiative,” Jarry said. “And I’ve always been a loud person.” 

This outspoken nature doesn’t end with Jarry motivating his teammates though. He talks to himself in between points during matches. 

“I try to use it not to think,” Jarry said. “The more I think, the more I miss. So whenever I keep screaming at me, or pushing me up and saying ‘come on,’ ‘vamos,’ like it’s just a way of keeping my mind just blank — no thoughts.”

He talked to himself during Friday's singles match, encouraging himself to keep pushing. After dominating the first set, 6-1, Jarry lost, 7-6, in a hard-fought tiebreaker game in the second. 

“I was just trying to conserve my energy because after the second set I was just exhausted,” Jarry said. 

Despite being tired, he fought back in the third, using his signature backhand and powerful serve. 

Jarry went up 6-5 after battling back from a 5-3 deficit. The UNC bench started the same call-and-response Tar Heel chants that Jarry so often initiates.

“I was just trying to stay calm, stay focused,” Jarry said. “It’s hard having everybody watching.” 

Match point. Jarry tracked Miami’s Leonardo Dal Boni's final return down the sideline. The ball hit the edge of the court — out of bounds. Finally.

Jarry collapsed, falling backward with his hands out in celebration. He didn't yell, but his teammates did for him, screaming in elation as they jumped on top of him. 

When he got off the ground and escaped the hugs, he ran to the closest camera, clenched his fists and yelled. 

"Vamos!"

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com