University of North Carolina Athletics

Senior Blaine Boyden won in straight sets on Court 5 Sunday against FSU.
Photo by: Rebecca Lawson
Carolina Claims 6-1 Win Over FSU
March 31, 2019 | Men's Tennis
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina men's tennis team beat No. 26 Florida State 6-1 on Sunday afternoon, winning the doubles point and then claiming singles wins on the first five courts. The Tar Heels improved to 13-4 overall, 5-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, while the Seminoles fell to 14-7 (4-4 ACC).
 
"Florida State is better than what they're ranked, and obviously the ACC is tough," sophomore Benjamin Sigouin said. "We started out well with the doubles point and then just kept the energy up for singles."
 
The match was the first in a four-game ACC homestand for UNC. Next up is No. 23 NC State on Wednesday, with a revised start time of 4 p.m. (It was originally scheduled for 3 p.m. but has been moved back an hour.)
 
Against the Seminoles, UNC took the doubles point with wins on Courts 1 and 2. The latter was the first to finish, with Sigouin and freshman Brian Cernoch beating FSU's Lucas Poullain and Bryn Nahrung 6-1. Minutes later, senior Blaine Boyden and junior William Blumberg won 6-3 on Court 1 to give UNC the early lead.
 
In singles, Cernoch notched the first win, but only by about 30 seconds. He wrapped up a 6-3, 6-4 victory over FSU's Richard Thongoana to make the score 2-0, but that quickly became 3-0 as Boyden won on Court 5 moments later, 6-2, 6-1 over Chase Wood.
 
Sigouin clinched the team victory with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Alex Knaff on Court 2.
 
The teams chose to play out the match, finishing up on the other three singles courts even though the team result had been decided.
 
On Court 1, Blumberg beat Poullain 6-3 in the first set, then battled back to force a tiebreaker in the second. The Tar Heel won that, 7-2, to take the match.
 
On Court 4, junior Josh Peck beat FSU's Enzo LeSeguillon, 6-2, 6-4.
 
The only FSU win came on Court 6. It was the one match that went to a third set, with sophomore Mac Kiger rolling to a 6-3 win in the second set after dropping the first in a tiebreaker. Because the team result had already been decided, the third set was replaced by a 10-point tiebreaker, which FSU's Sebastian Arcila won 11-9 to make the final team score 6-1.
 
"Florida State's got a great program," UNC coach Sam Paul said. "It was good to get an ACC win and I'm glad our guys were able to finish their matches."
 
No. 11 UNC 6, No. 26 FSU 1
 
Singles
Order of finish: 3,5,2,4,1,6
1. #26 William Blumberg (UNC) d. #84 Lucas Poullain (FSU), 6-3, 7-6(7-2)
2. #37 Benjamin Sigouin (UNC) d. Alex Knaff (FSU), 6-4, 6-2
3. #110 Brian Cernoch (UNC) d. Richard Thongoana (FSU), 6-3, 6-4
4. #109 Josh Peck (UNC) d. Enzo Le Seguillon (FSU), 6-2, 6-4
5. Blaine Boyden (UNC) d. Chase Wood (FSU), 6-2, 6-1
6. Sebastian Arcila (FSU) d. Mac Kiger (UNC), 7-6(7-3), 3-6, 1-0(11-9)
 
Doubles
Order of finish: 2,1
1. #53 Blumberg/Boyden (UNC) d. Arcila/Knaff (FSU), 6-3
2.. Cernoch/Sigouin (UNC) d. Poullain/Nahrung (FSU), 6-2
3. Kiger/Soendergaard (UNC) vs. Wood/Thongoana (FSU), 4-3 UF
 
Records: UNC 13-4 (5-2 ACC), FSU 14-7 (4-4 ACC)
 
 
"Florida State is better than what they're ranked, and obviously the ACC is tough," sophomore Benjamin Sigouin said. "We started out well with the doubles point and then just kept the energy up for singles."
The match was the first in a four-game ACC homestand for UNC. Next up is No. 23 NC State on Wednesday, with a revised start time of 4 p.m. (It was originally scheduled for 3 p.m. but has been moved back an hour.)
Against the Seminoles, UNC took the doubles point with wins on Courts 1 and 2. The latter was the first to finish, with Sigouin and freshman Brian Cernoch beating FSU's Lucas Poullain and Bryn Nahrung 6-1. Minutes later, senior Blaine Boyden and junior William Blumberg won 6-3 on Court 1 to give UNC the early lead.
UNC 2 FSU 0 Cernoch 6-3, 6-4 pic.twitter.com/IuSMpXMQ4u
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) March 31, 2019
In singles, Cernoch notched the first win, but only by about 30 seconds. He wrapped up a 6-3, 6-4 victory over FSU's Richard Thongoana to make the score 2-0, but that quickly became 3-0 as Boyden won on Court 5 moments later, 6-2, 6-1 over Chase Wood.
Sigouin clinched the team victory with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Alex Knaff on Court 2.
The teams chose to play out the match, finishing up on the other three singles courts even though the team result had been decided.
UNC 6 FSU 0 Blumberg d. Poullain 6-2, 7-6(2) pic.twitter.com/fSZlZhXoJU
— UNC Men's Tennis (@carolinatennis) March 31, 2019
On Court 1, Blumberg beat Poullain 6-3 in the first set, then battled back to force a tiebreaker in the second. The Tar Heel won that, 7-2, to take the match.
On Court 4, junior Josh Peck beat FSU's Enzo LeSeguillon, 6-2, 6-4.
The only FSU win came on Court 6. It was the one match that went to a third set, with sophomore Mac Kiger rolling to a 6-3 win in the second set after dropping the first in a tiebreaker. Because the team result had already been decided, the third set was replaced by a 10-point tiebreaker, which FSU's Sebastian Arcila won 11-9 to make the final team score 6-1.
"Florida State's got a great program," UNC coach Sam Paul said. "It was good to get an ACC win and I'm glad our guys were able to finish their matches."
No. 11 UNC 6, No. 26 FSU 1
Singles
Order of finish: 3,5,2,4,1,6
1. #26 William Blumberg (UNC) d. #84 Lucas Poullain (FSU), 6-3, 7-6(7-2)
2. #37 Benjamin Sigouin (UNC) d. Alex Knaff (FSU), 6-4, 6-2
3. #110 Brian Cernoch (UNC) d. Richard Thongoana (FSU), 6-3, 6-4
4. #109 Josh Peck (UNC) d. Enzo Le Seguillon (FSU), 6-2, 6-4
5. Blaine Boyden (UNC) d. Chase Wood (FSU), 6-2, 6-1
6. Sebastian Arcila (FSU) d. Mac Kiger (UNC), 7-6(7-3), 3-6, 1-0(11-9)
Doubles
Order of finish: 2,1
1. #53 Blumberg/Boyden (UNC) d. Arcila/Knaff (FSU), 6-3
2.. Cernoch/Sigouin (UNC) d. Poullain/Nahrung (FSU), 6-2
3. Kiger/Soendergaard (UNC) vs. Wood/Thongoana (FSU), 4-3 UF
Records: UNC 13-4 (5-2 ACC), FSU 14-7 (4-4 ACC)
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