North Carolina
Vanderbilt
Tar Heels Score Comeback Win On the Road
February 27, 2011 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 27, 2011
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - North Carolina scored a huge comeback win against host Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon.
The 29th-ranked Tar Heels snapped a three-game losing streak with the win against the 25th-ranked Commodores, and did so in dramatic fashion by winning the final three singles matches in the 4-3 victory.
"It's a very good road win for us, and I think the most complete match we've played all year," said UNC Head Coach Sam Paul. "The team played well up and down the lineup, and I'm really proud of our guys."
Vanderbilt jumped out to an early lead after winning a tightly contested doubles team point. While the 20th-ranked pairing of Brennan Boyajian and Jose Hernandez won 8-3 at the top flight, the Commodores' second and third pairings won their matches by a total of three games (Blake Bazarnik and Bryant Salcedo's match went to a tiebreaker) to give Vandy a 1-0 lead heading into singles.
UNC and Vanderbilt then swapped points, as Ryan Lipman extended the Commodore lead to 2-0 only to see William Parker draw the Tar Heels back within one after defeating Bazarnik 6-4, 6-3. After Salcedo won his match, Vandy held a 3-1 dual match lead, needing only one point to clinch a victory.
But with Boyajian, Stefan Hardy and Zach Hunter still on the court, the Tar Heels had other ideas. Boyajian began the charge with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the second flight that set the table for two three-set duels at the third and sixth spots. Hardy drew the team score to an even 3-3 by pulling out a win at No. 3, and Zach Hunter clinched both his match in the remaining flight and a team victory by defeating Alex Zotov 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.
The Tar Heels now have a layoff of more than a week, but will look to carry the momentum on the road when they face No. 4 Texas in Austin on March 8. The match will be played at 6 p.m. ET.
#29 North Carolina 4, #25 Vanderbilt 3
Records: UNC 4-4, Vanderbilt 8-2
Doubles
1. #20 Boyajian, Brennan and Hernandez, Jose (UNC) def. #33 Lipman, Ryan and Baker, Adam (VANDY) 8-3
2. #35 Jones, Charlie and Zotov, Alex (VANDY) def. Ahari, Cameron and Hardy, Stefan (UNC) 8-6
3. Salcedo, Bryant and Bazarnik, Blake (VANDY) def. Hunter, Zach and Parker, William (UNC) 9-8 (7-2)
Order finished: 1,2,3
Singles
1. #57 Lipman, Ryan (VANDY) def. #30 Hernandez, Jose (UNC) 6-3, 6-1
2. #101 Boyajian, Brennan (UNC) def. Baker, Adam (VANDY) 6-4, 6-2
3. #107 Hardy, Stefan (UNC) def. Jones, Charlie (VANDY) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
4. Parker, William (UNC) def. Bazarnik, Blake (VANDY) 6-4, 6-3
5. Salcedo, Bryant (VANDY) def. Ahari, Cameron (UNC) 6-0, 6-1
6. Hunter, Zach (UNC) def. Zotov, Alex (VANDY) 6-2, 1-6, 6-4
Order finished: 1,4,5,2,3,6
Players Mentioned
