University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Napa Valley Invitational
Tar Heels Go Undefeated on First Day of Napa Valley Invite
September 20, 2014 | Men's Tennis
MEADOWOOD, Calif. - The North Carolina men's tennis team opened the fall season with four singles victories on the first day of the Napa Valley Invitational, including three wins over ranked opponents.
Junior Brett Clark, ranked No. 52, kicked off the Tar Heels' string of victories with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 defeat of Tulsa's No. 75 Alejandro Espejo.
Sophomore Jack Murray also won in a three sets, knocking off Texas' 113th-ranked Nick Naumann, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
During the round of 2 p.m. matches, sophomore Ronnie Schneider, ranked No. 23 nationally, defeated Stanford's No. 63 John Morrissey 6-2, 6-4.
Freshman Robert Kelly finished off the day with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Sam Riffice (USTA junior) in his debut as a Tar Heel.
In doubles action, Murray and Schneider beat Tulsa's Carlos Bautista and Dylan McCloskey 8-3. Clark and Kelly claimed an 8-4 victory over a pair of USTA juniors.
The Napa Valley Invitational features four players from six schools: Texas, California, Tulsa, Stanford and North Carolina. It also includes eight USTA juniors. The 32 total players are divided into eight groups, which compete in a round robin format.
The eight group winners will battle in the Solinco USTA Wildcard Shootout on Sunday.
Players Mentioned
