University of North Carolina Athletics
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Clemson
Carolina Falls To Clemson 4-1 In NCAA Elite Eight
May 20, 2005 | Women's Tennis
May 20, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. - Trying to advance to the NCAA Final Four for the first time in the program's history, the North Carolina women's tennis team fell short Friday afternoon to 12th seed Clemson 4-1 at Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Matching its best finish ever in the NCAA Championships, the Tar Heels, the tournament's 13th seed, end the season with a 23-10 record.
In only his second season as UNC's head coach, Brian Kalbas led Carolina to the NCAA quarterfinals for only the second time in the program's history. Carolina last went to the quarterfinals in 2002, but fell 4-1 to Stanford. Kalbas is now 18-10 in NCAA play.
"I'm just real proud of our team," said Kalbas after the match. "After losing the doubles point and getting down early in a few matches we never gave up and I think that's a tribute to our team. Playing as long as we did and as hard as we did, to stay focused like they did on a long day like today with all these distractions is hard to do. It's not your typical day of tennis. We were also up against a really good team. They are a semifinal team from last year, and they had a lot of experience and played great. They definitely deserved the win."
Clemson clinched the match Friday evening after a rain delay suspended play. The total match time was just over seven hours, including three and half hours in rain delays.
Clemson now advances to the Final Four where it will meet Stanford, the number one seed, on Saturday, May 21, at 11 a.m. The Tigers advance to the semifinals for the second straight year.
Even though the sophomore tandem of Sara Anundsen and Jenna Long, ranked 40th in the nation, posted a decisive 8-0 victory for UNC at No. 2 over Daniela Alvarez and Maria Brito, Clemson came away with the doubles point after clinching at No. 1.
Anundsen and Long finish the season with an overall record of 33-8 and a dual-match record of 22-5. The pair received an alternate bid for the NCAA doubles tournament, which begins on Tuesday, May 24.
At No. 1 doubles, the 12th-ranked Clemson pair of Julie Coin and Alix Lacerarie were too strong as they defeated fifth-ranked Kendall Cline and Aniela Mojzis 8-3. Cline and Mojzis will continue play on Tuesday in the NCAA doubles tournament. The senior tandem, one of the best in UNC's history, moves to 31-8 overall and 22-7 in dual-match play at No. 1.
In singles action, the Tigers' Alex Lacerarie moved Clemson to 2-0 after she defeated Long 6-3, 6-2 at No. 3.
At No. 4, Anundsen posted the only point for the Tar Heels ater she defeated Brito 6-4, 6-2 and kept the Tar Heels alive with a 2-1 Clemson lead.
But Clemson went up 3-1 after Romy Farah, ranked 59th, defeated Cline, ranked 24th, in a three-set battle at No. 2, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.
Clemson's Coin, the nation's second-ranked player, clinched the match at No. 1 as she defeated Mojzis, ranked 41st, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
Friday's match was the second meeting of the season between the Tar Heels and the Tigers. The clubs last battled it out in Clemson, S.C. during the regular season, and the Tigers came away with the 5-2 victory. Clemson finished third in the ACC while Carolina was fourth.
In addition to competing in the NCAA doubles tournament together, Cline and Mojzis will also play in the singles tournament which begins Monday, May 23.
2005 NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships
Final Score:
#12 Clemson 4, #13 North Carolina 1
Doubles (One point to Clemson):
1. #12 Julie Coin/Alix Lacerarie (CU) def. #5 Kendall Cline / Aniela Mojzis (UNC), 8-3*
2. #40 Sara Anundsen / Jenna Long (UNC) def. Daniela Alvarez/Maria Brito (CU), 8-0
3. Romy Farah/Carol Salge (CU) de. Caitlin Collins / Tanja Markovic (UNC), 8-3
Order of finish: 3,2,1
*Clinching match
Singles
1. #2 Julie Coin (CU) def. #41 Aniela Mojzis (UNC), 6-3, 5-7, 6-2*
2. #59 Romy Farah (CU) def. #24 Kendall Cline (UNC), 2-6, 6-2, 6-0
3. Alix Lacerarie (CU) def. Jenna Long (UNC), 6-3, 6-2
4. Sara Anundsen (UNC) def. Maria Brito (CU), 6-4, 6-2
5. Caitlin Collins (UNC) tied Daniela Alvarez (CU), 6-7(5), 7-5
6. Carol Salge (CU) led Tanja Markovic (UNC), 6-3, 6-7(2), 2-1
Order of finish: 3,4,2,1
*Clinching match
Players Mentioned
