North Carolina
Wake Forest
No. 4 Tar Heels Pick Up Fifth ACC Win Over No. 17 Wake Forest
March 29, 2006 | Women's Tennis
March 29, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Propelled by three doubles wins and three singles wins, the University of North Carolina women's tennis team, ranked fourth in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, picked up its fifth Atlantic Coast Conference win Wednesday over No. 17 Wake Forest, topping the Demon Deacons, 4-3. The Tar Heels are now 20-3 on the 2006 regular season and 5-1 in ACC play. Wake Forest falls to 10-4, 2-3. Tanja Markovic clinched the match for North Carolina at the six seed.
The Tar Heels gained a 1-0 lead over the Demon Deacons by winning at all three doubles seeds. Caitlin Collins and Laura Reichert teamed up at the two seed against Ana Jerman and Christian Tara. Collins and Reichert topped Jerman and Tara, 8-4 to give the duo its sixth win of the season. Clinching the doubles point at the one seed was the junior pair of Sara Anundsen and Jenna Long, a pair ranked sixth in the nation in doubles. Anundsen and Long cruised past the No. 20 Wake Forest duo of Alexandra Hirsch and Ashlee Davis, 8-3. The win marks Anundsen and Long's 27th doubles victory of the season. Tanja Markovic and Austin Smith competed against Sierra Poske and Christine Simpson at the three seed. In a tough battle, the Tar Heel tandem came out on top, 8-6, claiming its second victory of the dual season.
In singles action, Wake Forest tied the match at one-all winning at the three seed. No. 106 Ana Jerman topped Carolina's No. 95 Sara Anundsen, 6-3, 6-2. Anundsen now stands at 20-9 for the season. Caitlin Collins continued her singles win streak, taking it to seven matches after downing No. 64 Ashlee Davis, 6-3, 7-5 at the two seed, giving North Carolina a 2-1 lead. No. 58 Collins improved her singles record to 23-11 with the win. Freshman Laura Reichert moved the score to 3-1 after defeating Jenna Loeb in the third set, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Reichert's season record is now 21-7.
Wake Forest's Sierra Poske took the score back to a one point difference after edging Tar Heel Austin Smith at the four seed. Smith fell to Poske, 0-6, 7-6, 4-6. Junior Jenna Long, ranked 32nd in the nation, fell to No. 43 Alexandra Hirsch at the one seed, 7-6, 3-6, 1-6, moving the score to a three-all tie with Wake Forest's win. Long's record fell to 24-10 with the loss. Clinching the match for the Tar Heels was senior Tanja Markovic at the six seed. Markovic beat Sierra Poske in the third set, 6-1, 5-7, 6-0; giving Carolina its fourth point and fifth ACC win. With the win, Markovic continued her singles win streak, pushing it to five wins straight.
The Tar Heels are back in play this weekend, hosting No. 37 Maryland and No. 64 Boston College at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center in Chapel Hill. The ACC action is slated for Maryland at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 1 and Boston College on Sunday, April 2 at 1 p.m.
No. 4 North Carolina 4, No. 17 Wake Forest 3
Doubles:
1. No. 6 Sara Anundsen/Jenna Long (UNC) d. No. 20 Alexandra Hirsch/Ashlee Davis (WFU) 8-3
2. Caitlin Collins/Laura Reichert (UNC) d. Ana Jerman/Christian Tara (WFU) 8-4
3. Tanja Markovic/Austin Smith (UNC) d. Sierra Poske/Christine Simpson (WFU) 8-6
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles:
1. No. 43 Alexandra Hirsch (WFU) d. No. 32 Jenna Long (UNC) 6-7, 6-3, 6-1
2. No. 58 Caitlin Collins (UNC) d. No. 64 Ashlee Davis (WFU) 6-3, 7-5
3. No. 106 Ana Jerman (WFU) d. No. 95 Sara Anundsen (UNC) 6-3, 6-2
4. Christian Thompson (WFU) d. Austin Smith (UNC) 6-0, 6-7, 6-4
5. Laura Reichert (UNC) d. Jenna Loeb (WFU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
6. Tanja Markovic (UNC) d. Sierra Poske (WFU) 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 *
Order of finish: 3, 2, 5, 4, 1, 6
* Clinched the match
Players Mentioned
