North Carolina
Georgia Tech
No. 13 Tar Heels Fall To No. 2 Georgia Tech, 5-2
March 21, 2008 | Women's Tennis
March 21, 2008
CHAPEL HILL --- The No. 13 North Carolina women's tennis team fell to defending national champion No. 2 Georgia Tech, 5-2, on Friday at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. The loss puts the Heels at 11-5 on the season while the Yellow Jackets improved to 11-3.
The Yellow Jackets claimed the doubles point as they won two of the three matches. The Tar Heels' pair of Meg Fanjoy and Laura Reichert fell first after a tremendous attempt at a comeback. The duo was down 3-7 before taking three consecutive games on the Tech pair of Christy Striplin and Noelle Hickey. Fanjoy and Reichert eventually fell, however, dropping the match, 8-6.
Georgia Tech would then clinch the doubles point after the No. 50 pair of Whitney McCray and Sasha Krupina defeated Austin Smith and Sophie Grabinski 3-8. Sanaz Marand and Katrina Tsang shone in doubles play as they defeated the No. 16 ranked doubles pair of Kristi Miller and Kirsten Flower, 8-7. The pairs exchanged games throughout as the Heels forced a tiebreak at 7-7. Marand and Tsang won the tiebreak, 7-2, making the score 8-7.
The Yellow Jackets made it 2-0 when No. 39 Whitney McCray defeated No. 95 Austin Smith 6-3, 6-3. The Heels would respond quickly though as No. 9 Marand continued her stellar play on the season. Marand put Carolina on the board as she easily defeated the No. 4 tennis player in the country, Amanda McDowell, in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.
The defending NCAA champs proved too much to handle for the Tar Heels as they claimed the next two points to clinch the match. Grabinski fell in two sets to No. 32 Kirsten Flowers, 6-3, 6-3, and Reichert fell 6-2, 6-1 to No. 79 Christy Striplin for the clinch at 4-1.
Tsang and Meg Fanjoy finished off the day for the Tar Heels. No. 27 Tsang lost in straight sets to No. 6 Kristi Miller 6-3, 7-6, to take Georgia Tech to 5-1 while Fanjoy put another tally on the scoreboard for North Carolina.
Fanjoy, a junior from Statesville, N.C., won her first set 6-4 before dropping the second, 4-6. Taking No. 107 Noelle Hickey into a tiebreak, Fanjoy took care of the Yellow Jacket opponent by winning 10-5.
The Heels will play again Saturday against the No. 34 Clemson Tigers at 1 p.m. at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center in Chapel Hill.
DOUBLES
1. Sanaz Marand/Katrina Tsang (UNC) def. No. 16 Kristi Miller/Kirsten Flowers (GT), 8-7
2. No. 50 Whitney McCray/Sasha Krupina (GT) def. Austin Smith/Sophie Grabinski, 8-3
3. Christy Striplin/Noelle Hickey (GT) def. Meg Fanjoy/Laura Reichert (UNC), 8-6
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
SINGLES
1. No. 9 Sanaz Marand (UNC) def. No. 4 Amanda McDowell (GT), 6-4, 6-2
2. No. 6 Kristi Miller (GT) def. No. 27 Katrina Tsang (UNC), 6-3, 7-6
3. No. 39 Whitney McCrary (GT) def. No. 95 Austin Smith (UNC), 6-3, 6-3
4. No. 79 Christy Striplin (GT) def. Laura Reichert (UNC), 6-2, 6-1
5. No. 32 Kirsten Flowers (GT) def. Sophie Grabinski (UNC), 6-3, 6-3
6. Meg Fanjoy def. No. 107 Noelle Hickey, 6-4, 4-6, (10-5)
Order of finish: 3, 1, 5, 4, 2, 6
Players Mentioned
