University of North Carolina Athletics
From Good To Great
April 16, 2017 | Men's Tennis
Last February, the North Carolina men's tennis team faced a shot at winning its first title in program history at the 2016 ITA National Team Indoor Championship. With the score tied at two and the remaining matches in tight battles, then-juniors Ronnie Schneider and Jack Murray did what they'd aimed to do from day one of their freshmen year: they brought the team a championship.
“We'd never really won anything,” said Murray. “That was one of our goals coming in, being able to establish that championship culture.”
After dropping his first set, Schneider fought to a third-set tiebreaker victory, putting UNC one match away from taking home a championship trophy. Minutes later, Murray completed his own third-set win to seal the deal for the Tar Heels.
“That was a culminating moment for our team and our program and our class,” Schneider said. “The guys to clinch it were the guys that came in together and changed the program.”
Murray and Schneider began their careers at UNC in the fall of 2013, but the history between them reaches back to their junior careers, when the two often played in the same tournaments. Eyebrows rose when Schneider, who is from Indiana and was the nation's top recruit, committed to North Carolina in the fall of his junior year of high school. Being from Michigan, Murray was primarily interested in Big Ten schools, but Schneider's choice encouraged him to explore the option of pursuing a collegiate tennis career at UNC.
“If he was looking there, there was probably a good reason,” said Murray. “When I took my visit, I fell in love with it too, the place, the coaches, the team. I couldn't say no.”
Five years later, Schneider and Murray are seniors, playing in their last regular season home match at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. Their successes have made UNC men's tennis history. They worked to push the team to a 65-2 home record over the past four springs. They helped propel UNC to three-straight Elite Eight berths in the NCAA Tournament. They played a tremendous role in bringing the program its first national title, earning the team its first No. 1 ranking, and setting a program record for wins in a season with 28 in 2016.
“Ronnie and Jack have done so much for us,” said head coach Sam Paul. “You go back and look at their careers – most successful class we've had.”
Schneider and Murray started making their mark on the North Carolina men's tennis program at the beginning of their time in Chapel Hill. Though the pair doesn't play together as often as they used to, Schneider and Murray posted impressive marks as doubles partners in their early seasons at UNC. In 2014, the duo went 4-0 in the NCAA Tournament and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team. That season, they compiled the best conference record of any No. 3 doubles team in the conference with a 10-1 record against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.
Schneider, who is 114-43 in his career, came in and registered 34 singles wins during his first year on the team, the most in a single season from any freshman in Carolina history. He started dual match play in 2016 with a convincing performance at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, and he was the first player in program history to be named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. He earned first team All-ACC honors each of his first three seasons, capped off by reaching All-American status at the end of his junior year. His success carried over into his senior campaign, where Schneider is 11-5 against ranked players this season, including five wins over top-25 opponents.
Murray boasts his own impressive record at 96-32. He also contributed to the lineup immediately and clinched matches against two top-50 ACC opponents as a freshman. As a junior, he highlighted the 2016 ITA All-Tournament Team for his play at the No. 4 spot. He ended that season with All-America honors in doubles play after reaching the NCAA Championship quarterfinals with classmate Brayden Schnur, a member of that same recruiting class who elected to turn pro last summer, following three All-America years. This spring, Murray leads UNC in singles wins with 18 and continues to be a key part of the deep Tar Heel lineup.
But their impact extends beyond the wins they've amassed. This senior class has ushered in a new mentality, excelling athletically and in every other way.
At the 2016 Rammy Awards, the team received the ACC Top Six for Service Award for its dedication to community outreach. The Tar Heels, through a program called Team IMPACT, were introduced to Mick Macholl, a five-year-old who was being treated for neuroblastoma at UNC Children's Hospital. The players formed an instant bond with Mick, going as far as making frequent hospital visits to hang out with him and holding a signing ceremony to make him an official part of the team. Schneider and Murray were two of the players that formed the closest connection with Mick, who lost his battle with cancer this past December. They attribute the inspiration behind one of the best seasons in program history to their time spent with him.
The Tar Heels will celebrate Senior Day on Sunday, honoring Murray, Schneider and fifth-year senior Chad Hoskins, all part of four-year span that has reinvented the UNC program. “We helped take the program to places it had literally never been before,” Schneider said. “We've done things that I would never dream of and that I didn't know were ever possible growing up.”
“We've had our best years since I've gotten here,” said Murray. “That's raised expectations a bit for what we expect for ourselves. We now believe more that we belong with the top tier teams.”
As Schneider and Murray prepare for the future, which will involve both of them testing the waters on the professional circuit after graduation and the NCAA Tournament in May, they leave a legacy. They've set the expectation for UNC men's tennis to consistently be a championship-caliber team, and the players that remain are prepared to make sure that happens.
“The program went from good to great the minute they stepped on campus,” said junior Robert Kelly. “It'll be weird not having them. They set the standard, and I've learned from them. For next year, we're going to continue doing what they're doing.”
Players Mentioned
