North Carolina
Miami
Carolina Wins 2016 ACC Championship
April 24, 2016 | Women's Tennis
Inserted into the singles lineup for the first time all weekend, senior Kate Vialle clinched a 4-2 victory for the top-seeded Tar Heels over Miami, giving Carolina its first ACC title since 2011 and the seventh in program history.
“Just so proud of our team,” said head coach Brian Kalbas. “There were so many momentum switches throughout the match. I'm just really excited for our seniors to win this, they've had such amazing careers!”
The 2016 #ACCWTEN Champions, @UNC_wtennis! pic.twitter.com/z4aLuXlBYp
— ACC Tennis (@ACCTennis) April 24, 2016
Kalbas has never been afraid to tinker with his lineup over the years, and the five-time ACC Coach of the Year made a calculated decision to start Vialle over freshman Chloe Ouellet-Pizer, a high-caliber player in her own right that has won 29 singles matches in her rookie season.
Bothered by an injury to her right foot that limited her to strictly doubles play the last couple weeks, Vialle went the distance in three sets to top Silvia Fuentes 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
“She's as tough as they come,” Kalbas said. “She clinched the Virginia match for us this year. She's a senior and I felt like in this environment you want your seniors to be out there. This is so wonderful for her and to see her clinch was awesome.”
North Carolina (29-2) again dominated doubles play like it has all season long. Despite dropping the match on court two, fourth-ranked Hayley Carter and senior Whitney Kay overpowered the ninth-ranked duo of Stephanie Wagner and Wendy Zhang on court one.
Senior Ashley Dai and Ouellet-Pizer did the same to Ana Madcur and Fuentes on court three, winning 6-2 to give Carolina the 1-0 edge.
In singles, No. 8 Sinead Lohan evened the score at 1-all with a 6-2, 7-5 win over 39th-ranked Whitney Kay on court two.
Carter, the No. 1 ranked singles player in the country, avenged her only dual match loss of the season with an impressive 6-2, 6-4 win over No. 6 Stephanie Wagner, swinging the momentum back to UNC at 2-1.
Miami (19-5) again answered with a win from Clara Tanielian over Marika Akkerman on court five in a back-and-forth match that went three sets - 6-3, 0-6, 7-5.
No. 57 Jessie Aney rallied from down a set to top 61st ranked Wendy Zhang on court three, 6-7 (6-8), 6-0, 6-4. The Tar Heel rookie is now won 16-straight matches and is 23-1 in dual matches this season.
Leading 3-2, Carolina seniors Dai and Vialle continued to fight into third sets. Dai was letting her match slip away trailing 4-1 to Madcur on court six, but at the same time Vialle found another gear late in the match. In the final point, Fuentes' looping volley sailed long and the Tar Heels erupted into a wild celebration knowing the three seniors were going out as champions.
“I think that's why there was so much emotion because we wanted to send them out the best way possible and I think we were able to do that today,” said Carter, who was named Most Valuable Player of the ACC Championship.
“This is going to be a moment I remember for the rest of my life,” said Carter. “We've been talking about (winning the ACC title) since I got to school here so it's great to finally achieve it."
Singles Results
1. #1 Hayley Carter (UNC) def. #6 Stephanie Wagner (UM) 6-2, 6-4
2. #8 Sinead Lohan (UM) def. #39 Whitney Kay (UNC) 6-2, 7-5
3. #57 Jessie Aney (UNC) def. #61 Wendy Zhang (UM) 6-7 (6-8), 6-0, 6-4
4. Kate Vialle (UNC) def. Silvia Fuentes (UM) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
5. Clara Tanielian (UM) def. Marika Akkerman (UNC) 6-3, 0-6, 7-5
6. Ashley Dai (UNC) vs. Ana Madcur (UM) 5-7, 7-6 (10-8), 1-4, unfinished
Order of Finish: 2,1,5,3,4
Doubles Results
1. #4 Hayley Carter/Whitney Kay (UNC) def. #9 Stephanie Wagner/Wendy Zhang (UM) 6-1
2. Sinead Lohan/Clara Tanielian (UM) def. #89 Kate Vialle/Jessie Aney (UNC) 6-2
3. Ashley Dai/Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC) def. Ana Madcur/Silvia Fuentes (UM) 6-2
Order of Finish: 2,1,3
Match Notes
Miami 19-5; National ranking #7
North Carolina 29-2; National ranking #2
Players Mentioned
