University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Daavettila Named ITA Indoors MOP
February 15, 2018 | Women's Tennis
TEMPE, Ariz. - North Carolina sophomore Sara Daavettila has been named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2018 ITA Division I National Women's Team Indoor Championship. Jessie Aney and Alexa Graham join Daavettila on the Sports Interiors All-Tournament Team, announced on Thursday after a vote by the 16 participating head coaches.
Daavettila is currently ranked No. 52 in the nation in singles. She won all four of her matches at #ITAIndoors; two at No. 2 singles and two at No. 3 singles. Daavettila clinched North Carolina's victories over Ole Miss (4-2 in opening round) and Texas Tech (4-1 in quarterfinals), as well as providing crucial points in the semifinal (4-1 win against Duke) and championship (4-2 versus Pepperdine) matches. Teaming with Alle Sanford, Daavettila posted a 3-1 mark in doubles at the No. 2 position.
In winning Carolina's third national indoor title, Daavettila joins past Tar Heel standouts Whitney Kay (2013) and Caroline Price (2015) as the only three players in program history to be honored as winners of the Most Outstanding Player award.
Graham was named to the all-tournament team in both singles (No. 4) and doubles (No. 1). She had a 2-0 record at No. 3 singles and No. 4 singles, and compiled a 3-1 mark in doubles playing alongside Aney.
On Wednesday, UNC took over the No. 1 spot in the updated ITA Team Rankings after winning the national championship on Monday in Madison, Wisconsin. The Tar Heels are home this Sunday to face No. 14 Michigan at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center at 11 a.m.
2018 ITA All-Tournament Team - Singles
No. 1 Singles: Ashley Lahey, Sophomore, Pepperdine
#OracleITARanking: No. 27
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-0
DNF Jaeda Daniel (Auburn) 7-5, 3-6, 2-5
Def. Paige Hourigan (Georgia Tech) 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2
Def. Astra Sharma (Vanderbilt) 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-1
Def. Alle Sanford (North Carolina) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
No. 2 Singles: Sara Daavettila, Sophomore, North Carolina
#OracleITARanking: No. 52
#ITAIndoors Record: 4-0 (2-0 at No. 2 singles)
*Def. Kaitlyn McCarthy (Duke) 6-2, 6-2
*Def. Mayar Sherif (Pepperdine) 7-5, 6-2
Def. Sabina Machalova (Ole Miss) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
Def. Sabrina Federici (Texas Tech) 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 Singles: Christina Rosca, Sophomore, Vanderbilt
#OracleITARanking: No. 19
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-0
Def. Chandler Carter (Wake Forest) 6-1, 6-1
Def. McCartney Kessler (Florida) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
Def. Evvgeniya Levashova (Pepperdine) 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 Singles: Alexa Graham, Sophomore, North Carolina
#OracleITARanking: No. 78
#ITAIndoors Record: 4-0 (2-0 at No. 4 singles)
*Def. Ellyse Hamlin (Duke) 7-6 (3), 6-1
*Def. Laura Gulbe (Pepperdine) 6-4, 6-3
Def. Alexa Bortles (Ole Miss) 6-2, 6-2
Def. Sarah Dvorak (Texas Tech) 6-0, 6-1
No. 5 Singles: Meible Chi, Sophomore, Duke
#OracleITARanking: No. 106
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-0
Def. Megan Davies (South Carolina) 6-2, 6-2
Def. Morgan Coppoc (Georgia) 6-4, 7-5
Def. Jessie Aney (North Carolina) 6-2, 6-4
No. 6 Singles: Amanda Meyer, Freshman, Vanderbilt
#OracleITARanking: NR
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-0
Def. Mary Caroline Meredith (Wake Forest) 6-4, 6-1
Def. Katie Kubicz (Florida) 6-4, 6-4
Def. Adrijana Lekaj (Pepperdine) 6-2, 7-6 (3)
2018 ITA All-Tournament Team - Doubles
No. 1 Doubles: Jessie Aney, Junior / Alexa Graham, Sophomore - North Carolina
#OracleITARanking: No. 30
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-1
Loss Arianne Hartono/Alexa Bortles (Ole Miss) 6-3
Def. Sarah Dvorak/Sabrina Federici (Texas Tech) 6-4
Def. Samantha Harris/Kelly Chen (Duke) 6-4
Def. Mayar Sherif/Ashley Lahey (Pepperdine) 7-5
No. 2 Doubles: Mariana Gould, Senior / Katarina Jokic, Freshman - Georgia
#OracleITARanking: No. 18
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-0
Def. Marta Perez-Mur/Bianca Turati (Texas) 6-1
Def. Ellyse Hamlin/Kaitlyn McCarthy (Duke) 6-3
Def. Gabriela Talaba/Felicity Maltby (Texas Tech) 6-4
No. 3 Doubles: Amanda Meyer, Freshman / Christina Rosca, Sophomore - Vanderbilt
#OracleITARanking: NR
#ITAIndoors Record: 2-0
Def. Mary Caroline Meredith/Alexis Franco (Wake Forest) 6-4
DNF Peggy Porter/Katie Kubicz (Florida) 5-5
Def. Adrijana Lekaj/Laura Gulbe (Pepperdine) 6-1
Daavettila is currently ranked No. 52 in the nation in singles. She won all four of her matches at #ITAIndoors; two at No. 2 singles and two at No. 3 singles. Daavettila clinched North Carolina's victories over Ole Miss (4-2 in opening round) and Texas Tech (4-1 in quarterfinals), as well as providing crucial points in the semifinal (4-1 win against Duke) and championship (4-2 versus Pepperdine) matches. Teaming with Alle Sanford, Daavettila posted a 3-1 mark in doubles at the No. 2 position.
In winning Carolina's third national indoor title, Daavettila joins past Tar Heel standouts Whitney Kay (2013) and Caroline Price (2015) as the only three players in program history to be honored as winners of the Most Outstanding Player award.
Graham was named to the all-tournament team in both singles (No. 4) and doubles (No. 1). She had a 2-0 record at No. 3 singles and No. 4 singles, and compiled a 3-1 mark in doubles playing alongside Aney.
On Wednesday, UNC took over the No. 1 spot in the updated ITA Team Rankings after winning the national championship on Monday in Madison, Wisconsin. The Tar Heels are home this Sunday to face No. 14 Michigan at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center at 11 a.m.
2018 ITA All-Tournament Team - Singles
No. 1 Singles: Ashley Lahey, Sophomore, Pepperdine
#OracleITARanking: No. 27
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-0
DNF Jaeda Daniel (Auburn) 7-5, 3-6, 2-5
Def. Paige Hourigan (Georgia Tech) 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2
Def. Astra Sharma (Vanderbilt) 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-1
Def. Alle Sanford (North Carolina) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
No. 2 Singles: Sara Daavettila, Sophomore, North Carolina
#OracleITARanking: No. 52
#ITAIndoors Record: 4-0 (2-0 at No. 2 singles)
*Def. Kaitlyn McCarthy (Duke) 6-2, 6-2
*Def. Mayar Sherif (Pepperdine) 7-5, 6-2
Def. Sabina Machalova (Ole Miss) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
Def. Sabrina Federici (Texas Tech) 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 Singles: Christina Rosca, Sophomore, Vanderbilt
#OracleITARanking: No. 19
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-0
Def. Chandler Carter (Wake Forest) 6-1, 6-1
Def. McCartney Kessler (Florida) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
Def. Evvgeniya Levashova (Pepperdine) 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 Singles: Alexa Graham, Sophomore, North Carolina
#OracleITARanking: No. 78
#ITAIndoors Record: 4-0 (2-0 at No. 4 singles)
*Def. Ellyse Hamlin (Duke) 7-6 (3), 6-1
*Def. Laura Gulbe (Pepperdine) 6-4, 6-3
Def. Alexa Bortles (Ole Miss) 6-2, 6-2
Def. Sarah Dvorak (Texas Tech) 6-0, 6-1
No. 5 Singles: Meible Chi, Sophomore, Duke
#OracleITARanking: No. 106
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-0
Def. Megan Davies (South Carolina) 6-2, 6-2
Def. Morgan Coppoc (Georgia) 6-4, 7-5
Def. Jessie Aney (North Carolina) 6-2, 6-4
No. 6 Singles: Amanda Meyer, Freshman, Vanderbilt
#OracleITARanking: NR
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-0
Def. Mary Caroline Meredith (Wake Forest) 6-4, 6-1
Def. Katie Kubicz (Florida) 6-4, 6-4
Def. Adrijana Lekaj (Pepperdine) 6-2, 7-6 (3)
2018 ITA All-Tournament Team - Doubles
No. 1 Doubles: Jessie Aney, Junior / Alexa Graham, Sophomore - North Carolina
#OracleITARanking: No. 30
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-1
Loss Arianne Hartono/Alexa Bortles (Ole Miss) 6-3
Def. Sarah Dvorak/Sabrina Federici (Texas Tech) 6-4
Def. Samantha Harris/Kelly Chen (Duke) 6-4
Def. Mayar Sherif/Ashley Lahey (Pepperdine) 7-5
No. 2 Doubles: Mariana Gould, Senior / Katarina Jokic, Freshman - Georgia
#OracleITARanking: No. 18
#ITAIndoors Record: 3-0
Def. Marta Perez-Mur/Bianca Turati (Texas) 6-1
Def. Ellyse Hamlin/Kaitlyn McCarthy (Duke) 6-3
Def. Gabriela Talaba/Felicity Maltby (Texas Tech) 6-4
No. 3 Doubles: Amanda Meyer, Freshman / Christina Rosca, Sophomore - Vanderbilt
#OracleITARanking: NR
#ITAIndoors Record: 2-0
Def. Mary Caroline Meredith/Alexis Franco (Wake Forest) 6-4
DNF Peggy Porter/Katie Kubicz (Florida) 5-5
Def. Adrijana Lekaj/Laura Gulbe (Pepperdine) 6-1
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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