North Carolina
Oklahoma
Tar Heels Fall To No. 2 Sooners 4-1 In ITA Quarterfinals
February 14, 2015 | Men's Tennis
CHICAGO – Despite a promising start after nabbing the doubles point, the seventh-ranked North Carolina men's tennis team fell to No. 2 Oklahoma 4-1 in the ITA Indoor Championship quarterfinals on Saturday at Midtown Athletic Club. The Tar Heels fall to 9-2 with the loss, while the Sooners improve their mark to 8-0.
Oklahoma struck first in doubles play when its fifth-ranked pair of Axel Alvarez and Dane Webb defeated Brayden Schnur and Oystein Steiro 6-1 on court one. Carolina responded on court three, where the Tar Heels' sophomore duo of Jack Murray and Ronnie Schneider overwhelmed Jose Salazar and Alex Ghilea 6-3.
Junior Brett Clark and freshman Robert Kelly secured the team point for UNC soon after with a 6-4 defeat of Andrew Harris and Spencer Papa on court two. The match was clinched on a beautiful poach by Kelly on a decisive deuce point with the pair leading 5-4.
The Tar Heels couldn't quite match the Sooners' firepower in singles, though.
Axel Alvarez, ranked 11th nationally, provided Oklahoma's first team point of the day on court two by topping Carolina's 19th-ranked Schneider, 6-1, 6-4. Spencer Papa extended the Sooners' lead to 2-1 at the No. 4 singles spot, where he notched a 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Oystein Steiro. The Tar Heels' 104th-ranked Murray fell to No. 63 Alex Ghilea on court five 7-5, 6-1 for Oklahoma's third team point.
No. 26 Andrew Harris clinched the Sooners' spot in the semifinals by tallying a hard-fought 7-6, 6-3 victory against UNC's sixth-ranked Schnur on court one.
Singles matches on courts three and six were suspended following Harris' victory.
UNC will be back in action Sunday in a consolation match against third-ranked Virginia. The Cavaliers were upset 4-3 on Saturday by No. 10 Baylor. Sunday's match is set for 1 p.m. EST.
#2 Oklahoma 4, #7 UNC 1
Singles
1. #26 Andrew Harris (OU) d. #6 Brayden Schnur (UNC), 7-6, 6-3
2. #11 Axel Alvarez (OU) d. #19 Ronnie Schneider (UNC), 6-1, 6-4
3. #31 Dane Webb (OU) led Brett Clark (UNC), 6-4, 3-6, 3-0, unfinished
4. Spencer Papa (OU) d. Oystein Steiro (UNC), 6-4, 6-2
5. #63 Alex Ghilea (OU) d. #104 Jack Murray (UNC), 7-5, 6-1
6. #75 Robert Kelly led Jose Salazar (OU), 6-0, 3-6, 5-4, unfinished
Doubles
1. #6 Axel Alvarez and Dane Webb (OU) d. Brayden Schnur and Oystein Steiro (UNC), 6-1
2. Brett Clark and Robert Kelly (UNC) d. Andrew Harris and Spencer Papa (OU), 6-4
3. Jack Murray and Ronnie Schneider (UNC) d. Alex Ghilea and Jose Salazar (OU), 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,4,5,1)
Players Mentioned
