University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Daavettila/Sanford Advance To NCAA Quarters
May 25, 2018 | Women's Tennis
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - North Carolina women's tennis standouts Sara Daavettila and Alle Sanford woke up Thursday morning not expected to compete this week in the NCAA Doubles Championship. But a late scratch inserted the Tar Heel duo into the field and by Friday afternoon had earned All-America status by advancing into the quarterfinals.
Daavettila and Sanford were both eliminated from the NCAA Singles Championship on Wednesday, but stuck around Winston-Salem as the first alternates in the doubles field. Duke's Kelly Chen and Samantha Harris were scratched from the event early Thursday morning, and what followed was a very important phone call the two received around 9 a.m. learning they would in fact play a first round match later that afternoon.
The Tar Heels' defeated Texas Tech's Sarah Dvorak and Sabrina Federici, 6-2, 6-4, in their opening round match, and come Friday they again won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, over Georgia's Mariana Gould and Katarina Jokic.
They now match up with top seed and No. 1 ranked Paige Hourigan and Kenya Jones of Georgia Tech on Saturday.
By virtue of reaching the quarterfinals, Daavettila and Sanford gives Carolina five All-America players for the first time in a single season. Teammates Jessie Aney, Alexa Graham and Makenna Jones previously gained their elite status as No. 2 national seeds in the doubles and singles championship, respectively.
This marks the second time in program history that UNC boasts two sets of All-American doubles teams on the same team. The first occurrence came in 2014 with the likes of freshmen Hayley Carter and Jamie Loeb, and Whitney Kay and Caroline Price.
NCAA Singles Championship
First Round - Wednesday, May 23
#33 Jada Hart (UCLA) def. #26 Alle Sanford (UNC), 6-4, 7-5
[2] #2 Makenna Jones (UNC) def. No. 35 Gabby Smith (USC) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
[9-16] #11 Astra Sharma (Vandy) def. #46 Sara Daavettila (UNC) 6-1, 6-0
Second Round - Thursday, May 24
#28 Kelly Chen (Duke) def. [2] #2 Makenna Jones (UNC) 6-3, 6-4
NCAA Doubles Championship
First Round - Thursday, May 24
#11 Contreras/Sharma (Vandy) def. [2] #2 Aney/Graham (UNC) 6-2, 6-4
#33 Sanford/Daavettila (UNC) def. #28 Dvorak/Federici (Texas Tech) 6-1, 4-6, 10-5
Second Round, Friday, May 25
#33 Sanford/Daavettila (UNC) def. #26 Gould/Jokic (UGA) 6-2, 6-2
Quarterfinals, Saturday, May 26
#33 Sanford/Daavettila (UNC) vs. [1] #1 Hourigan/Jones (Georgia Tech)
Daavettila and Sanford were both eliminated from the NCAA Singles Championship on Wednesday, but stuck around Winston-Salem as the first alternates in the doubles field. Duke's Kelly Chen and Samantha Harris were scratched from the event early Thursday morning, and what followed was a very important phone call the two received around 9 a.m. learning they would in fact play a first round match later that afternoon.
The Tar Heels' defeated Texas Tech's Sarah Dvorak and Sabrina Federici, 6-2, 6-4, in their opening round match, and come Friday they again won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, over Georgia's Mariana Gould and Katarina Jokic.
They now match up with top seed and No. 1 ranked Paige Hourigan and Kenya Jones of Georgia Tech on Saturday.
By virtue of reaching the quarterfinals, Daavettila and Sanford gives Carolina five All-America players for the first time in a single season. Teammates Jessie Aney, Alexa Graham and Makenna Jones previously gained their elite status as No. 2 national seeds in the doubles and singles championship, respectively.
This marks the second time in program history that UNC boasts two sets of All-American doubles teams on the same team. The first occurrence came in 2014 with the likes of freshmen Hayley Carter and Jamie Loeb, and Whitney Kay and Caroline Price.
NCAA Singles Championship
First Round - Wednesday, May 23
#33 Jada Hart (UCLA) def. #26 Alle Sanford (UNC), 6-4, 7-5
[2] #2 Makenna Jones (UNC) def. No. 35 Gabby Smith (USC) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
[9-16] #11 Astra Sharma (Vandy) def. #46 Sara Daavettila (UNC) 6-1, 6-0
Second Round - Thursday, May 24
#28 Kelly Chen (Duke) def. [2] #2 Makenna Jones (UNC) 6-3, 6-4
NCAA Doubles Championship
First Round - Thursday, May 24
#11 Contreras/Sharma (Vandy) def. [2] #2 Aney/Graham (UNC) 6-2, 6-4
#33 Sanford/Daavettila (UNC) def. #28 Dvorak/Federici (Texas Tech) 6-1, 4-6, 10-5
Second Round, Friday, May 25
#33 Sanford/Daavettila (UNC) def. #26 Gould/Jokic (UGA) 6-2, 6-2
Quarterfinals, Saturday, May 26
#33 Sanford/Daavettila (UNC) vs. [1] #1 Hourigan/Jones (Georgia Tech)
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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