North Carolina
Tennessee
No. 4 Carolina Tops No. 18 Tennessee, 5-2
January 22, 2012 | Women's Tennis
Jan. 22, 2012
FLUSHING, N.Y. --- No. 4 North Carolina rebounded from its first loss of the season with a 5-2 victory over No. 18 Tennessee Sunday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Carolina dropped the doubles point but got singles wins from Zoe De Bruycker, Caroline Price, Shinann Featherston and Gina Suarez-Malaguti to clinch the match.
Tennessee (0-2) showed its usual doubles strength to start the dual, taking all three matches and winning the day's first point. Natalie Pluskota and Caitlyn Williams defeated Featherston and Lauren McHale on court one, 8-4, to complete the sweep after wins at No. 2 and No. 3.
The Lady Vols were forced to give up the lead immediately, however, as Pluskota was unable to compete in singles due to injury. With only five healthy singles players, Tennessee defaulted the match at No. 6, making the team score 1-1 with five matches left to play.
De Bruycker gave Carolina (3-1) its first lead of the day with an impressive 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 27 Brynn Boren at the top of the lineup. UT then evened the match at 2 with No. 59 Kata Szekely's 6-3, 6-2 win over No. 16 McHale on court two.
It was the local product Featherston who then put the Tar Heels in the driver's seat with a straight-set win on court four. The Rockaway Park, N.Y., native, playing at her home club for the first time as a collegiate this weekend, defeated Joanna Henderson, 6-3, 6-1, to give Carolina a 3-2 advantage.
No. 55 Price then clinched the match on court three with a 6-2, 7-6 (2) win over Sarah Toti. The victory was Price's second clinching win of the week after she sealed the Elon match on Wednesday.
With the match no longer in doubt, Suarez-Malaguti claimed the final point of the day after Williams retired on court five down a set at 6-4, 1-3.
Carolina will now return home to host the 2012 ITA Kickoff Weekend next Saturday and Sunday in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels open play against Marshall on Saturday with the winner facing either VCU or Brown for a spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Charlottesville, Va.
No. 4 North Carolina 5, No. 18 Tennessee 2
Singles
1. #44 Zoe De Bruycker (UNC) def. #27 Brynn Boren (UT), 6-3, 6-1
2. #59 Kata Szekely (UT) def. #16 Lauren McHale (UNC), 6-3, 6-2
3. #55 Caroline Price (UNC) def. Sarah Toti (UT), 6-2, 7-6 (2)
4. Shinann Featherston (UNC) def. Joanna Henderson (UT), 6-3, 6-1
5. Gina Suarez-Malaguti (UNC) def. Caitlyn Williams (UT), 6-4, 1-3, ret.
6. Tessa Lyons (UNC) by default
Order of finish: 1, 2, 4, 3, 5
Doubles
1. Natalie Pluskota/Caitlyn Williams (UT) def. Shinann Featherston/Lauren McHale (UNC), 8-4
2. #18 Brynn Boren/Sarah Toti (UT) def. #43 Zoe De Bruycker/Laura Slater (UNC), 8-5
3. Joanna Henderson/Kata Szekely (UT) def. Tessa Lyons/Caroline Price (UNC), 8-2
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
Players Mentioned
