University of North Carolina Athletics
Turner's Take: Milestones and Measuring Sticks
January 26, 2017 | Men's Tennis, Featured Writers, Turner Walston
By Turner Walston
"Are the guys talking about national team championship?" Carolina men's tennis coach Sam Paul asks. "Are they saying that, defending champions?"
They aren't. Not really. Paul's team won the program's first-ever ITA National Indoor Championship a year ago in Charlottesville. And so for the first time they are the defending champions. But they aren't talking about that. For the Tar Heels, it's one match a time, beginning Friday when they take on Notre Dame to begin ITA Kickoff Weekend.
"It's going to be a tough weekend," Paul says. "This is a brand new team. It's a new match, new day. One at a time."
The 2016 Tar Heels captured the title by taking that same approach. They earned home wins against Indiana and NC State on ITA Kickoff Weekend to advance to the National Team Indoor final 16, then won four matches on consecutive days. To win the championship, the Tar Heels handed Virginia their first ACC loss in 140 matches. But even for championship teams, the margin for error is slim.
"We did win National Indoors last year," says associate head coach Tripp Phillips, "but we were down a break in the third to not even make the final 16. So we certainly don't take it for granted."
This year's team is undefeated through five dual matches early in the season, earning shutouts in each match. But business picks up with the beginning of ITAs, and the Tar Heels' combination of experience and youth will be tested. "We're ready," said senior Jack Murray, whose win on court four last year sealed the championship. "We're trying not to approach it differently, but we want to emulate what we did last year, because that definitely worked."
This season, Carolina looks to replace two players with stellar careers: Brayden Schnur at #1, who turned pro after his junior season, and Brett Clark at #3. Ronnie Schneider, Robert Kelly, Murray and Bo Boyden all return with big-match experience, joined by up and comers who will look to make larger contributions and a heralded freshman class. Will Blumberg and Josh Peck have already earned wins and Denmark's Simon Soendergaard is eager to take the court. The younger players are learning to play within the team concept of Carolina tennis, and Paul says they are adopting the right mindset.
"This is the deepest team I've ever had," Paul says. "We've got 12 guys that can all play. And we talk about it in the locker room, it's not Carolina tennis, it's really Carolina team tennis. We try to focus on the culture of the team."
And that's where leadership is crucial. Players like Schneider and Murray set the tone from the top. "There's nothing like playing for your 11 other teammates and your university, with a lot of people watching," Schneider says. "I'm sure we'll have our lumps and growing pains, but that's what Jack and I are here for, to try to guide them a long in the right direction, because in a year or two, they're going to be the leaders of this team."
Even as a senior, Schneider is focused on the future of Carolina tennis. When he committed, he told Paul that he wanted to help build sustainable success for the program. In recent years, the Tar Heels have won that team championship, been ranked #1 for the first time and reached NCAA quarterfinals three straight seasons. And they helped their coach reach a couple of milestones.
The team's 7-0 win over The Citadel on Sunday afternoon marked win number 420 for Paul and a new school record, passing Carolina legend Don Skakle. Earlier in the day, a 7-0 decision over UT Chattanooga, win number 419, moved Paul into second place all time in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"Coach Skakle was such a leader," Paul says. "No one will ever replace Coach Skakle. You see all these banners, these 18 ACC championships. He was the standard, and he always will be for me."
As a player for Paul and now in his 11th year on staff, Phillips has been a part of some 300 of those wins. His youthful energy and enthusiasm allows him to work in synergy with Paul even as they work different courts during matches. "I've learned so much playing for him, and now having the chance to work with him," Phillips says of the head coach. "He's as good as it gets."
Paul's success goes beyond wins and losses, however. His relationship with his players and his belief in them translates onto the court. "The players that talk about Coach Skakle never talk about his record; they talk about the lessons they learned and what a role model he was in life," Paul says. "That's something that I've tried to follow and adhere to in teaching our guys life lessons."
Never was that more evident than when the team adopted the cause of five year-old Mick Macholl, as related in this excellent story by The Daily Tar Heel's Madeline Coleman. Macholl died of neuroblastoma in December. During his battle, players visited Macholl nearly every day, and Kelly and Phillips both spoke at his funeral. "Last year was incredible from a team standpoint, winning the national title and being ranked #1 in the country," Paul says. "But what they did with Mickey, that was the most important thing they did. That's the culture of our team and our program. We're doing well academically because we've recruited really good kids that want to get an education and are also committed to being the best that they can be in tennis. It's a privilege to go to work with these guys every day."
The work continues Friday with the match against Notre Dame, and Saturday against Penn State or Vanderbilt. "We're doing everything we can every single day, working hard all the way through the season, and then when April and May come around, we're the best we can be," Paul says. "Last year's team did that, and this team is evolving. We've got some work to do."
And more memories to make. "To be part of a team that he'll remember is really special," Murray said of helping his coach reach 420 victories. "Hopefully we can get a couple more of those memorable matches."
Players Mentioned
