University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
Tar Heels Persevere To Earn 4-3 Win At FSU
April 8, 2012 | Men's Tennis
April 8, 2012
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. - UNC senior Brennan Boyajian got the clinching victory for 21st-ranked North Carolina as the Tar Heels defeated 26th-ranked Florida State 4-3 Sunday afternoon at the Scott Speicher Tennis Center. After starting the season 3-4 against an arduous non-conference schedule, Coach Sam Paul's team has now won eight of its past nine matches.
The win was the 11th straight for Carolina in dual match action in Tallahassee, including 10 successive wins under head coach Sam Paul. UNC has won by a 4-3 score in each of its last three visits to the capital city of the Sunshine State. UNC also improved to 3-0 in matches decided by 4-3 scores this year. Boyajian has clinched two of those wins.
"It was a total team effort," said UNC head coach Sam Paul. "This is a very good road win. It's tough to win on the road in the ACC and we're now 3-0 this year."
"Once again Brennan Boyajian clinches the match for us. He's having a tremendous senior season for us," said Paul. "Jose Hernandez played another good match at No. 1. The past couple of weeks Jose has really stepped up his game for us. It's showing in the results.
The Tar Heels started the match by sweeping all three doubles matches, earning the team point that would be decisive in the end. This was the first time this year in a 4-3 win by Carolina that it was able to earn the doubles point.
Carolina then needed three of six singles wins to earn the team triumph and they were able to get three wins in straight sets to improve to 11-5 overall and 8-1 in the ACC. Florida State started the weekend undefeated in the ACC but after losses to Duke and Carolina is now 16-6 overall and 7-2 in the ACC.
Jose Hernandez upped Carolina's lead to 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles over Jordan Kelly-Houston. Andres Bucaro won for the Seminoles at #3 singles before freshman Oystein Steiro gave Carolina a 3-1 lead with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Anderson Reed at #6.
Florida State again pulled within a single points with a singles win at #5 by Benjamin Lock but shortly thereafter it was Boyajian who clinched the match in his home state, beating Blake Davis 7-6, 6-3.
Carolina finishes the regular season this week by playing on the road at seventh-ranked Duke Wednesday at 3 p.m. and at 75th-ranked Maryland next Sunday at 12 noon.
With the two wins this weekend in Florida, Carolina has clinched won the top four seeds in the 2012 ACC Tournament in Cary, N.C. The Tar Heels will receive a first round bye and open quarterfinal action on April 20.
#21 North Carolina 4, #26 Florida State 3
Doubles (Team Winning Majority Of Matches Earns One Team Point)
Order of match finish: 2, 1, 3
1. #29 Jose Hernandez and Joey Burkhardt (UNC) d. Blake Davis and Jordan Kelly-Houston (FSU), 8-6
2. Brennan Boyajian and Cameron Ahari (UNC) d. Dominic Cotrone and Anderson Reed (FSU), 8-4
3. Oystein Steiro and Esben Hess-Olesen (UNC) d. Andres Bucaro and Benjamin Lock (FSU), 8-6
Singles (One Team Point Per Singles Match)
Order of match finish: 1, 3, 6, 5, 2, 4
1. #43 Jose Hernandez (UNC) d. Jordan Kelly-Houston (FSU), 6-2, 6-2
2. #85 Brennan Boyajian (UNC) d. Blake Davis (FSU), 7-6 (8-6), 6-3
3. Andres Burcaro d. #101 Esben Hess-Olesen (UNC), 6-4, 6-2
4. Christian Gonzalez Mendez (FSU) d. Joey Burkhardt (UNC), 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 1-0 (10-3)
5. Benjamin Lock (FSU) d. William Parker (UNC), 6-3, 6-4
6. Oystein Steiro (UNC) d. Anderson Reed (FSU), 6-3, 7-5
Records: North Carolina 11-5, ACC 8-1; Florida State 16-6, ACC 7-2
Players Mentioned
