University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Notre Dame
Women's Tennis Overpowers No. 22 Notre Dame, 5-2
February 1, 2003 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 1, 2003
Notre Dame, Ind. - The fifth-ranked University of North Carolina women's tennis team rallied to win five of six singles matches and overpower 21st-ranked University of Notre Dame 5-2 Saturday afternoon at the Eck Tennis Pavilion in Notre Dame, Ind.
The Tar Heels(3-0) fell behind 1-0 after the Irish(2-2) won two out of three matches in doubles competition. Carolina was only successful at the No. 2 position in doubles, where 50th-ranked Marlene Mejia and Aniela Mojzis defeated Lauren Connelly and Alicia Salas 9-7. At No. 1, the Notre Dame doubles pair of Kaite Cunha and Kristina Stastny upset 19th-ranked Kate Pinchbeck and Kendrick Bunn 8-6. Notre Dame's Sarah Jane Connelly and Jennifer Smith defeated Lee Bairos and Kendall Cline 8-4 at No. 3.
Carolina quickly struck back in singles competition, winning five out of six matches, to seal a 5-2 victory. #61 Mojzis earned the Tar Heels' first point by defeating Stastny 6-0, 6-3 at the No. 3 singles position. The Tar Heels would not trail in the match again. #11 Pinchbeck put up a second point for Carolina by defeating Caylan Leslie 6-2, 6-3 at the No. 2 position. #38 Mejia then defeated #124 Salas 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1, to give the Tar Heels a 3-1 lead just before Carolina sophomore Cline clinched the match at the No. 4 position with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Lauren Connelly. Bunn went on to defeat Notre Dame's Smith 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6, and Bairos suffered a tough 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) loss after a hard-fought match against Notre Dame's Sarah Jane Connelly.
The Tar Heels will now travel to Evanston, Ill., where they will face sixteenth-ranked Northwestern University on Sunday, Feb. 2 at noon.
#5 North Carolina 5, #21 Notre Dame 2
Singles
No. 1: #38 Marlene Mejia (UNC) d. #124 Alicia Salas (ND) 6-3, 6-2
No. 2: #11 Kate Pinchbeck (UNC) d. Caylan Leslie (ND) 6-2, 6-3
No. 3: #61 Aniela Mojzis (UNC) d. Kristina Stastny (ND) 6-0, 6-3
No. 4: Kendall Cline (UNC) d. Lauren Connelly (ND) 6-2, 6-3
No. 5: Sarah Jane Connelly (ND) d. Lee Bairos (UNC) 7-5, 7-6 (7-5)
No. 6: Kendrick Bunn (UNC) d. Jennifer Smith (ND) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1: Katie Cunha/Stastny (ND) d. #19 Bunn/Pinchbeck (UNC) 8-6
No. 2: #50 Mejia/Mojzis (UNC) d. L. Connelly/Salas (ND) 9-7
No. 3: S.J. Connelly/Smith (ND) d. Bairos/Cline (UNC) 8-4
Players Mentioned
