North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Carolina Tops Georgia Tech 5-2 For Seventh ACC Win
April 17, 2015 | Men's Tennis
ATLANTA, Ga. – With the regular season winding down, the 15th-ranked North Carolina men's tennis team earned its seventh ACC victory in a 5-2 defeat of Georgia Tech on Friday at Ken Byers Tennis Complex. The Tar Heels move to 18-9 (7-4 ACC) with the win, while the Yellow Jackets fall to 11-11 (3-8 ACC).
Carolina gained a 1-0 lead after securing the doubles point on courts one and two. Sophomore Brayden Schnur combined with senior Esben Hess-Olesen to edge Georgia Tech's duo of Christopher Eubanks and Michael Kay 8-6 at the No. 1 spot. The match was Schnur's first doubles action since Feb. 28 against Minnesota. On court two, UNC's 40th-ranked pair of junior Brett Clark and freshman Robert Kelly extended its winning streak to eight matches, besting Cole Fiegel and Nathan Rakitt 8-4.
The Tar Heels secured the win in singles action by prevailing in four of the six matches. Sophomore Ronnie Schneider – ranked No. 24 nationally – got on the board first, notching his 25th singles victory of the season in a 6-2, 6-0 rout of Carlos Benito on court two. On court one, Schnur, ranked No. 14 nationally, beat Georgia Tech's 62nd-ranked freshman Christopher Eubanks 6-1, 6-4.
Facing a 3-0 deficit, the Yellow Jackets responded with two singles victories of their own. Nathan Rakitt beat Carolina sophomore Jack Murray 6-3, 6-0 on court four, and Cole Fiegel followed up with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of UNC junior Stuart DePaolo on court six.
Carolina proceeded to tally two more singles wins to ice the match. Kelly, ranked No. 108, continued his outstanding freshman campaign with a match-clinching, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Eduardo Segura on court five. The Cardinal Gibbons High School product is 29-5 in singles matches for the season and boasts a 20-3 dual-match mark.
Clark, who checks in at No. 65 in the ITA's latest poll, concluded the match by tallying a win in the only three-set match of the day. He topped the Jackets' Michael Kay 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 on court three.
The Tar Heels were without the services of injured senior Oystein Steiro for the third consecutive match.
Friday's victory over the Yellow Jackets marks the Tar Heels' first win that did not come at home or on a neutral site. However, Carolina had faced a team ranked No. 26 or better in all seven of its road matches to this point.
Carolina will travel to No. 72 Clemson on Sunday for its final match of the regular season. First serve is scheduled for noon.
#15 North Carolina 5, Georgia Tech 2
Singles competition
1. #14 Brayden Schnur (NC) def. #62 Christopher Eubanks (GT) 6-1, 6-4
2. #24 Ronnie Schneider (NC) def. Carlos Benito (GT) 6-2, 6-0
3. #65 Brett Clark (NC) def. Michael Kay (GT) 3-6, 6-0, 6-1
4. Nathan Rakitt (GT) def. #111 Jack Murray (NC) 6-3, 6-0
5. #108 Robert Kelly (NC) def. Eduardo Segura (GT) 7-5, 6-3
6. Cole Fiegel (GT) def. Stuart DePaolo (NC) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Esben Hess-Olesen/Brayden Schnur (NC) def. Christopher Eubanks/Michael Kay (GT) 8-6
2. #40 Brett Clark/Robert Kelly (NC) def. Cole Fiegel/Nathan Rakitt (GT) 8-4
3. Carlos Benito/Casey Kay (GT) vs. Jack Murray/Ronnie Schneider (NC) 6-7, unfinished
Match Notes:
North Carolina 18-9, 7-4 ACC; National ranking #15
Georgia Tech 11-11, 3-8 ACC
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (2,1,4,6,5,3)
T-2:49 A-150
Players Mentioned
