University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Finish Regular Season At Georgia Tech, Clemson
April 16, 2015 | Men's Tennis
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The 15th-ranked North Carolina men's tennis team will conclude its regular season slate this weekend when it travels to Georgia Tech on Friday for a 4 p.m. match and No. 72 Clemson on Sunday for a noon contest.
Carolina takes a record of 17-9 (6-4 ACC) into the weekend, having fallen 4-3 at Wake Forest in its last match. The injury bug has been a storyline all spring, and the Tar Heels find themselves battling it again heading down the home stretch of the season. Senior Oystein Steiro has missed UNC's past two matches against Duke and Wake Forest, and fellow senior Esben Hess-Olesen has dealt with injuries for the majority of the spring campaign. Hess-Olesen was plugged into the singles lineup for the first time in three weeks against the Blue Devils on April 9 but retired in the first set of the match.
Despite the adversity, several players have stepped up and given the Tar Heels a boost. Senior Andrew Gores was an integral part of Carolina's 5-2 home victory over Duke, filling in for Steiro and pairing with Hess-Olesen to notch a pivotal doubles win at the No. 3 spot. Freshman Robert Kelly has been impressive on the back end of the singles lineup. He boasts an overall singles record of 28-5 and is 19-3 in dual matches.
Five Tar Heels make an appearance in the ITA's April 14 singles poll: Brayden Schnur (No. 14), Ronnie Schneider (No. 24), Brett Clark (No. 65), Robert Kelly (No. 108) and Jack Murray (No. 111). In doubles, Hess-Olesen and Steiro sit at No. 36, while Clark and Kelly jumped to No. 40, thanks in part to seven-match winning streak dating back to Feb. 20 against Texas.
Georgia Tech enters Friday's match with a mark of 11-10 (3-7 ACC) and has lost four consecutive matches. However, the Yellow Jackets – led by 62nd-ranked freshman Christopher Eubanks – posted wins over Clemson, Miami and Boston College in March.
Clemson, ranked 72nd nationally, brings a record of 11-14 (2-9 ACC) into the weekend. The Tigers are coming off a 4-3 triumph over Boston College and feature the nation's 59th-ranked doubles duo in Hunter Harrington and Alejandro Augusto.
Carolina leads the all-time series with Georiga Tech 34-15 and the all-time series with Clemson 48-24.
Players Mentioned
