University of North Carolina Athletics
Carter, Kay Reach Quarterfinals At NCAA Tennis
May 27, 2016 | Women's Tennis
Carter and Kay, the No. 1 seed in doubles, won in come-from-behind fashion over No. 22 Palina Dubavets and Stefani Stojic of UC Santa Barbara, 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (7) in a Round of 16 match on Friday afternoon.
“Everyone always comes out ready to play against you because they have nothing to lose,” said Kay. “It's cool being the No. 1 seed, but that also comes with pressure.”
They will now take on South Carolina's duo of Hadley Berg and Paige Cline on Saturday at 5 p.m., with the winner advancing to the semifinals.
Earlier in the day, Carter defeated No. 12 Julia Elbaba of Virginia in straight sets - 6-2, 6-2, to get her busy Friday off on the right foot.
“I think I played unbelievably, especially considering the conditions,” said Carter. “She was one of four people I've lost to this year. I lost to her in the fall. A little bit of redemption for me.
“She's an unbelievable competitor. College tennis lost one of the best competitors it's ever had today with her career coming to an end.”
Carter is slated to face unseeded Katarina Adamovic of Oklahoma State on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET with the winner reaching the Final Four.
The victory today for Carter tied her with former teammate Caroline Price (2011-14) for the second most career singles wins at North Carolina. Carter's 128th career win improved her record to 47-4 on the current season.
Carter is now a three-time All-America in singles and earns her second nod in doubles, while Kay earns All-America in doubles for the second time after earning the award with Price as a sophomore in 2014.
Results
NCAA Women's Tennis Singles Championship (Third Round)
#1 [1] Hayley Carter (North Carolina) def. #12 [9-16] Julia Elbaba (Virginia), 6-2, 6-2
NCAA Women's Tennis Doubles Championship (Second Round)
#2 [1] Hayley Carter-Whitney Kay (North Carolina) def. #22 Palina Dubavets-Stefani Stojic (UC Santa Barbara) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (7)
