University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
UNC Edges WFU in Emotional ACC Opener
March 19, 2008 | Men's Tennis
March 19, 2008
Chapel Hill, NC - On a day where many of the Tar Heels' thoughts were in places other than the tennis courts, much less in preparation to face a top-30 ACC opponent, UNC pulled out an emotional 4-3 victory over the nationally 29th-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The win came a day after the university held a memorial service for the UNC's late Student Body President Eve Carson, who was killed on March 5th. Carson was close to many of the Tar Heel players, including senior Tristan Heinrich, who played a nearly flawless match along with fellow senior David Stone to help secure an emotional 8-2 win at the third doubles spot.
"Tennis has been great for me in a time like this," said Heinrich about dealing with the loss of Carson. "It has given me the chance to sort of clear my mind and get out there and be with my teammates."
Heinrich wasn't the only one visibly remembering someone who was surely one of the most dynamic Carolina students ever. Every UNC player paid some form of tribute to Carson, most through white lettering spelling "Eve" ironed onto the front of their Carolina blue shirts. A mere two weeks after her passing, it was a fitting and admirable tribute to a girl who without doubt cared more about the Carolina community than almost anyone--a win to open ACC conference play over an in-state rival.
The nationally 13th-ranked Tar Heels opened up the match with the quick doubles win by Heinrich and Stone, all the more impressive since the two haven't played together as a doubles pair in over a month and a half. After Wake Forest scored a win at the number one doubles spot, sophomores Clay Donato and Stefan Hardy, freshly minted as the nation's 43rd ranked doubles team, answered with an 8-4 victory that delivered the doubles point to UNC.
With a 1-0 advantage, North Carolina wasted no time in improving their lead by winning the number four and five singles matches to put the score at 3-0. Donato, who scored the opening victory at the fourth spot, lost only three games to extend his win streak to five matches, improving his record since the beginning of February to 6-1. Junior Taylor Fogleman closed out his match at the fifth spot shortly afterward, losing only five games in a 6-3, 6-2 victory.
Needing one point to win, and with first-set wins in three of the four remaining singles matches, the Tar Heels turned to sophomore Chris Kearney to close the match out. Kearney, who gave up only one game in his first set, played a back-and-forth second set after delays due to a cut on his elbow. Returning to the court after a brief injury stoppage, Kearney won the set 6-4, clinching the team match for UNC.
"I'm really proud of Tristan Heinrich," an emotional Head Coach Sam Paul said after the match. "He just played unbelievably well today. It's been a tough week for us, but I'm really proud of the way we came out and competed."
Up next for the Tar Heels will be another ACC match, as they will travel to Tallahassee, Florida, to play 7th-ranked Florida State. The match is scheduled for Friday, March 21st, at 5 PM ET.
"We're going to prepare the same for everyone we play," Heinrich said in response to how UNC will prepare for FSU. "Everyone in the ACC is tough, everybody that we play for the rest of the year is really tough, so we're just going to have a good day of practice tomorrow, get there, and go back to work."
#13 North Carolina 4, #29 Wake Forest 3
Records: UNC 11-3, Wake Forest 9-6
Doubles
#1 Forman/Parr [#14] (WFU) d. Fogleman/Kearney [#4] (UNC) 8-3
#2 Donato/Hardy [#43] (UNC) d. Morgenstern/Wolff (WFU) 8-4
#3 Tristan Heinrich/David Stone (UNC) d. Adamski/Salmon (WFU) 8-2
Order of match finish: #3, #1, #2
Singles
#1 Steve Forman [#82] (WFU) d. Stefan Hardy [#78] (UNC) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
#2 Cory Parr [#59] (WFU) d. Benjamin Carlotti [#112] (UNC) 6-1, 5-4
#3 Chris Kearney [#71] (UNC) d. Marius Adamski (WFU) 6-1, 6-4
#4 Clay Donato (UNC) d. Carlos Salmon (WFU) 6-1, 6-2
#5 Taylor Fogleman (UNC) d. Jonathan Wolff (WFU) 6-3, 6-2
#6 Jason Morgenstern (WFU) d. Will Plyler (UNC) 1-6, 6-3, 1-0(5)
Order of match finish: #4, #5, #3*, #6, #2**, #1
**Carlotti retired with an injury in the second set.
Players Mentioned
