Saturday, April 28
Cary, N.C.
10:00 AM
North Carolina
4
vs
3
Georgia Tech
Photo by: Liz Condo, theACC.com
Carolina Tops Jackets To Reach ACC Title Match
April 28, 2018 | Women's Tennis
CARY, North Carolina - North Carolina took down second-seed Georgia Tech, 4-3, on Saturday morning and will play for a third-consecutive ACC Women's Tennis Championship title on Sunday at the Cary Tennis Park. The third-seeded Tar Heels face No. 1 seed Duke in Sunday's finale at 10 a.m.
North Carolina (25-3) fell behind for the second time in as many days by losing the doubles point, but displayed another resilient effort in singles to post its eighth-straight dual match victory in the ACC Championship in the last three years. The Tar Heels won the title in 2016 the last time it was held in Cary, North Carolina, and took down Georgia Tech, 4-3, last year in its home state in Rome.
Tied 3-3, the deciding point came down to court one between Carolina's No. 7 Makenna Jones and No. 13 Paige Hourigan of the Yellow Jackets. Jones squeezed a win out on a tiebreaker in set one and then took home the final two points of set two that ignited a truimphant celebration with her teammates after the 7-6, 7-5 win.
The Greenville, South Carolina, native is a perfect 10-0 at No. 1 singles this spring and will take a 14-match winning streak into Sunday against the Blue Devils.
No. 96 Jessie Aney was the first Tar Heel to notch a singles win for the second-straight day, earning a 6-3, 7-5 win over Nami Otsuka on court five. Aney lost to her earlier in the season during the 4-3 setback to Georgia Tech back on March 24 in Chapel Hill.
No. 41 Sara Daavettila and Chloe Ouellet-Pizer also won in straight sets on courts three and six to push Carolina's edge to 3-1. However, momentum stalled out when Georgia Tech (21-5) rallied and evened the score at 3-all with victories from Ida Jarlskog and No. 82 Kenya Jones from courts four and two, respectively.
On court one, Hourigan led 6-5 in the first set, but Jones pulled out the win to gain the advantage. The Tar Heel sophomore again trailed in the second set early, but was too much down the stretch to defeated the senior from New Zealand.
UNC will play for its ninth championship in school history on Sunday, while Duke searches for its 18th tile, but first since 2012.
North Carolina 4, Georgia Tech 3
Singles Competition
1. #7 Makenna Jones (UNC) def. #13 Paige Hourigan (GT) 7-6, 7-5
2. #82 Kenya Jones (GT) def. #27 Alle Sanford (UNC) 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
3. #41 Sara Daavettila (UNC) def. Johnnise Renaud (GT) 7-5, 6-3
4. Ida Jarlskog (GT) def. #92 Alexa Graham (UNC) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
5. #96 Jessie Aney (UNC) def. Nami Otsuka (GT) 6-3, 7-5
6. Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC) def. Victoria Flores (GT) 6-3, 7-5
Order of Finish: 5, 3, 6, 4, 2, 1
Doubles Competition
1. #1 Paige Hourigan/Kenya Jones (GT) def. #3 Jessie Aney/Alexa Graham (UNC) 6-2
2. #63 Victoria Flores/Ida Jarlskog (GT) def. #22 Sara Daavettila/Alle Sanford (UNC) 6-3
3. Marika Akkerman/Makenna Jones (UNC) def. Nami Otsuka/Johnnise Renaud (GT) 6-2
Doubles: 1, 3, 2
North Carolina (25-3) fell behind for the second time in as many days by losing the doubles point, but displayed another resilient effort in singles to post its eighth-straight dual match victory in the ACC Championship in the last three years. The Tar Heels won the title in 2016 the last time it was held in Cary, North Carolina, and took down Georgia Tech, 4-3, last year in its home state in Rome.
Tied 3-3, the deciding point came down to court one between Carolina's No. 7 Makenna Jones and No. 13 Paige Hourigan of the Yellow Jackets. Jones squeezed a win out on a tiebreaker in set one and then took home the final two points of set two that ignited a truimphant celebration with her teammates after the 7-6, 7-5 win.
The Greenville, South Carolina, native is a perfect 10-0 at No. 1 singles this spring and will take a 14-match winning streak into Sunday against the Blue Devils.
No. 96 Jessie Aney was the first Tar Heel to notch a singles win for the second-straight day, earning a 6-3, 7-5 win over Nami Otsuka on court five. Aney lost to her earlier in the season during the 4-3 setback to Georgia Tech back on March 24 in Chapel Hill.
No. 41 Sara Daavettila and Chloe Ouellet-Pizer also won in straight sets on courts three and six to push Carolina's edge to 3-1. However, momentum stalled out when Georgia Tech (21-5) rallied and evened the score at 3-all with victories from Ida Jarlskog and No. 82 Kenya Jones from courts four and two, respectively.
On court one, Hourigan led 6-5 in the first set, but Jones pulled out the win to gain the advantage. The Tar Heel sophomore again trailed in the second set early, but was too much down the stretch to defeated the senior from New Zealand.
UNC will play for its ninth championship in school history on Sunday, while Duke searches for its 18th tile, but first since 2012.
North Carolina 4, Georgia Tech 3
Singles Competition
1. #7 Makenna Jones (UNC) def. #13 Paige Hourigan (GT) 7-6, 7-5
2. #82 Kenya Jones (GT) def. #27 Alle Sanford (UNC) 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
3. #41 Sara Daavettila (UNC) def. Johnnise Renaud (GT) 7-5, 6-3
4. Ida Jarlskog (GT) def. #92 Alexa Graham (UNC) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
5. #96 Jessie Aney (UNC) def. Nami Otsuka (GT) 6-3, 7-5
6. Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC) def. Victoria Flores (GT) 6-3, 7-5
Order of Finish: 5, 3, 6, 4, 2, 1
Doubles Competition
1. #1 Paige Hourigan/Kenya Jones (GT) def. #3 Jessie Aney/Alexa Graham (UNC) 6-2
2. #63 Victoria Flores/Ida Jarlskog (GT) def. #22 Sara Daavettila/Alle Sanford (UNC) 6-3
3. Marika Akkerman/Makenna Jones (UNC) def. Nami Otsuka/Johnnise Renaud (GT) 6-2
Doubles: 1, 3, 2
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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