North Carolina
NC State
No. 11 Carolina Takes Care Of NC State, 6-1
March 21, 2012 | Women's Tennis
March 21, 2012
CHAPEL HILL --- No. 11 North Carolina dropped just three sets in a 6-1 win over NC State Wednesday afternoon at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. The Tar Heels stormed through a comprehensive doubles point before winning five of six singles matches for their seventh dual victory in a row.
Carolina (12-4, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) scored a pair of 8-0 victories at the top two doubles positions to quickly gain the early lead. No. 13 Shinann Featherston and Lauren McHale were first to finish their win over Ashley Miller and Joelle Kissell, with No. 53 Haley Hemm and Tessa Lyons taking care of Tatiana Illova and Nicole Martinez moments later.
Gina Suarez-Malaguti and Caroline Price finished the doubles sweep on court three, beating Elisha Hande and Chloe Smith, 8-5.
NC State (5-9, 1-2 ACC) came out with a renewed fight to start singles, getting an early lead on three of six courts. UNC was able to stem the tide, however, winning the opening set in four of six matches.
Tessa Lyons was first to finish, drilling Sophie Nelson in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0, on court six.
The Wolfpack got its lone point of the day next on court one, as No. 60 Kissell defeated No. 33 Zoe De Bruycker, 6-0, 6-3.
It was all Carolina from there, though, as the Tar Heels improved to 2-0 before a key weekend at the Virginia schools.
No. 96 Price made it 3-1 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Martinez on court four.
That left it to Featherston and Suarez-Malaguti to race for the clinching point of the dual. Featherston took the opening set against Smith, 6-2, on court three, while Suarez-Malaguti bested Miller, 6-4, on court four.
Featherston dropped the opening game of the second set to Smith but won six of the next seven to win, 6-2, 6-2, and clinch the match. Suarez-Malaguti triumphed a short time later, defeating Miller, 6-4, 6-3.
No. 26 McHale had to rally for the final point on court two after losing the opening set to Illova, 6-1. McHale raced out to a 4-1 lead in the second stanza but soon fell behind 5-4. But McHale won the final three games of the second set and then took a third-set tiebreak, 10-6, to grab the come-from-behind victory.
Carolina hits the road in ACC play for the first time in 2012 Friday when the Tar Heels visit Virginia Tech Friday at 2:30 p.m. UNC will then continue to Charlottesville to face Virginia on Sunday.
No. 11 North Carolina 6, NC State 1
Doubles
1. #13 Featherston/McHale (UNC) def. Miller/Kissell (NCSU), 8-0
2. #53 Hemm/Lyons (UNC) def. Illova/Martinez (NCSU), 8-0
3. Suarez-Malaguti/Price (UNC) def. Hande/Smith (NCSU), 8-5
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles
1. #60 Joelle Kissell (NCSU) def. #33 Zoe De Bruycker (UNC), 6-0, 6-3
2. #26 Lauren McHale (UNC) def. Tatiana Illova (NCSU), 1-6, 7-5, 1-0 (6)
3. #118 Shinann Featherston (UNC) def. Chloe Smith (NCSU), 6-2, 6-2
4. Gina Suarez-Malaguti (UNC) def. Ashley Miller (NCSU), 6-4, 6-3
5. #96 Caroline Price (UNC) def. Nicole Martinez (NCSU), 6-3, 6-4
6. Tessa Lyons (UNC) def. Sophie Nelson (NCSU), 6-1, 6-0
Order of finish: 6, 1, 5, 3, 4, 2
Players Mentioned
