North Carolina
Virginia Tech
#2 Carolina Rallies Past Virginia Tech
April 9, 2016 | Women's Tennis
North Carolina (23-2, 11-0 ACC) extended its winning streak to 13 matches, but was pushed to the brink by a good Hokie squad. With the score knotted 3-all, the match would be decided on court four between UNC's Ouellet-Pizer and Kelly Williford, who won the opening set in a tiebreaker, before the Tar Heel rookie rallied to capture the next two sets to secure the win. The third set was tied 5-5, before Ouellet-Pizer hung tough to win the final two points.
The opening doubles point was hotly contested as well. Hokie duo Elena Cerezo-Codina and Sansitha Nandakumar won 6-4 on court three, pinning just the second loss of the season on Carolina's Ashley Dai and Ouellet-Pizer.
Top-ranked Hayley Carter and Whitney Kay of UNC came away with a 7-5 win over Francesa Fusinato and Williford on court one, so the opening point came down to court two where Carolina's Jessie Aney and Kate Vialle brought home a 7-6 (11-9) marathon win over Caroline Daxhelet and Raluca Mita to make it 1-0 Tar Heels.
In singles, 62nd-ranked Aney increased the lead to 2-0 when the UNC freshman breezed past No. 125 Daxhelet, 6-1, 6-3.
Virginia Tech took a 3-2 lead in the match, before No. 1 Carter won 7-6 (5), 6-3 over No. 49 Fusinato, setting up the heroics on court four by Ouellet-Pizer.
Carolina returns home to host No. 55 Boston College on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Tar Heels will honor their seniors - Ashley Dai, Whitney Kay and Kate Vialle - before the match with the Eagles.
Singles
#1 Hayley Carter (UNC) def. Francesca Fusinato (VT) 7-6 (5), 6-3
Elena Cerezo-Codina (VT) def. #30 Whitney Kay (UNC) 6-3, 6-3
#62 Jessie Aney (UNC) def. #125 Caroline Daxhelet (VT) 6-1, 6-3
Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC) def. Kelly Williford (VT) 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-5
Raluca Mita (VT) def. Marika Akkerman (UNC) 6-2, 6-4
Katherine Butler (VT) def. Cassandra Vazquez (UNC) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 5, 6, 1, 4
Doubles
#1 Carter/Kay (UNC) def. Fusinato/Williford (VT) 7-5
#84 Aney/Vialle (UNC) def. Daxhelet/Mita (VT) 7-6 (11-9)
Cerezo-Codina/Nandakumar (VT) def. Dai/Ouellet-Pizer (UNC) 6-4
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
Players Mentioned
