The No. 1 North Carolina women's tennis team is off to its best spring season start since 1998.
The Tar Heels (11-0, 1-0 ACC) trounced No. 15 Michigan 5-2 on Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor to remain unbeaten since the season began on Jan. 9.
The match started with a pair of impressive UNC doubles wins. Playing together for the first time this season, junior Ashley Dai and freshman Cassandra Vazquez easily dismissed Mira Ruder-Hook and Kristen Dodge with a 6-1 victory on Court 3. Then, on Court 1, senior Caroline Price and sophomore Jamie Loeb upset No. 11 Emina Bektas and Alex Najarian to clinch the doubles point for the Tar Heels.
In singles competition, both UNC losses came as surprises. Michigan’s Ronit Yurovsky upset No. 5 Jamie Loeb in three sets on Court 1, and unranked Ruder-Hook defeated No. 66 Ashley Dai, 6-1, 6-3. But wins from No. 18 Hayley Carter, No. 21 Price, No. 53 Whitney Kay and No. 95 Vazquez gave UNC the lopsided 5-2 match victory.
With the win in Ann Arbor, UNC added another win against a ranked opponent to an already impressive spring campaign. The Tar Heels beat then No. 17 Texas A&M on Feb. 1, won the ITA National Indoor Championship on Feb. 9 and overpowered N.C. State in its ACC opener on Thursday.
One year removed from its best season in program history, top-ranked UNC is looking to go one step further this spring — with an ACC title in April and and NCAA championship in May.
But for now, as they enter the heart of their dual match schedule, the Tar Heels will take it one match at a time.
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