Photo by: Mark Black
Top Moments Of 2019-20: Seven Ranked Singles Players
March 25, 2020 | Women's Tennis
This is the start of a series on GoHeels.com that will look back at the top moments of the shortened 2019-20 North Carolina women's tennis season. When Carolina Athletics canceled all spring competitions in accordance with the ACC's decision on March 17 due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Carolina was in the midst of putting together perhaps the best season in program history. The Tar Heels were No. 1 in the national polls with a perfect 18-0 record, had already won team and singles ITA National Championships and sat atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. Please continue to visit GoHeels.com as we look back on the amazing accomplishments head coach Brian Kalbas and his program enjoyed this past season.Â
When you've enjoyed as much success as this program has in recent years, it comes increasingly more difficult to do something for the first time. On Feb. 18, 2020, this Tar Heel squad did just that when a school-record seven players were ranked simultaneously in singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Toss in three doubles pairings and UNC was again at the top of the heap when it came to collegiate tennis in this country.Â
The "rankings season" began in mid September when North Carolina, which advanced to the 2019 NCAA Championships semifinals, led all schools with four players included in the top 12 and had a total of five singles players among the top 125, according to the ITA.
Fast forward two months and when the dust settled on the fall tournaments in November, the final set of 2019 rankings saw sophomore Cameron Morra climb to No. 2 in the singles poll after a fantastic semester that saw her win the ITA Carolina Regional Singles Championship and post a team-leading 13-2 record with eight wins over ranked opponents.
Fueled by the ITA Fall National Singles Championship title, senior Sara Daavettila was No. 4 and classmate Alexa Graham was No. 8, while junior Alle Sanford began her ascend in the polls at No. 36. Meanwhile, in doubles we had Morra and Makenna Jones at No. 5, Daavettila and Graham climbed to No. 6 and freshman Anika Yarlagadda and Sanford jumped in at No. 50.
The calendar flipped to 2020 and by early February the Tar Heels were flying high with a 6-0 record behind impressive wins over nationally-ranked opponents, Michigan and Vanderbilt. The top-10 trio continued to thrive, Sanford soared to No. 23, her best showing since the start of 2018-19, freshman Kacie Harvey grabbed her first career ranking at No. 58 and Jones returned to the fray at No. 101.
The Tar Heels would go on to win their fourth ITA National Team Indoor Championship on Feb. 10 in Chicago with a truly dominating, 4-0, performance over UCLA in the final. Just over a week later, Carolina made program history when seven players found themselves in the singles rankings on Feb. 18.Â
Morra (4), Graham (5), Daavettila (6) lined up sequentially inside the top 10 and Sanford and Jones landed at No. 39 and No. 43, respectively. Harvey (No. 81) was joined by fellow rookie Elizabeth Scotty, who garnered her first career ranking at No. 111 to make it seven Tar Heels among the best collegiate players in the country.
Carolina was the first team to compile seven players in one ranking period since Stanford did so in April 2019. A month later, the Cardinal took down the Tar Heels in the NCAA Team Championship semifinals and would win another national title down in Orlando.
As of March 3, which turned out to be the last set of rankings released during the regular season, Graham (3), Daavettila (5) and Morra (6) continued to set the pace. Sanford and Jones sat at No. 51 and No. 52, respectively, and Scotty reached No. 89. The doubles side of things featured Daavettila and Graham at No. 4, Morra and Jones at No. 8 despite not playing together after early November, and Jones and Sanford rose to No. 15 after playing strong tennis in the spring mostly on court two for Kalbas' crew.
Though the final rankings for the season have yet to be released, it's a safe assumption to make that this group of UNC standouts will be well represented not only at the top of the team rankings, but also among the best singles players and doubles tandems in Division I tennis.
When you've enjoyed as much success as this program has in recent years, it comes increasingly more difficult to do something for the first time. On Feb. 18, 2020, this Tar Heel squad did just that when a school-record seven players were ranked simultaneously in singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Toss in three doubles pairings and UNC was again at the top of the heap when it came to collegiate tennis in this country.Â
The "rankings season" began in mid September when North Carolina, which advanced to the 2019 NCAA Championships semifinals, led all schools with four players included in the top 12 and had a total of five singles players among the top 125, according to the ITA.
Fast forward two months and when the dust settled on the fall tournaments in November, the final set of 2019 rankings saw sophomore Cameron Morra climb to No. 2 in the singles poll after a fantastic semester that saw her win the ITA Carolina Regional Singles Championship and post a team-leading 13-2 record with eight wins over ranked opponents.
Fueled by the ITA Fall National Singles Championship title, senior Sara Daavettila was No. 4 and classmate Alexa Graham was No. 8, while junior Alle Sanford began her ascend in the polls at No. 36. Meanwhile, in doubles we had Morra and Makenna Jones at No. 5, Daavettila and Graham climbed to No. 6 and freshman Anika Yarlagadda and Sanford jumped in at No. 50.
The calendar flipped to 2020 and by early February the Tar Heels were flying high with a 6-0 record behind impressive wins over nationally-ranked opponents, Michigan and Vanderbilt. The top-10 trio continued to thrive, Sanford soared to No. 23, her best showing since the start of 2018-19, freshman Kacie Harvey grabbed her first career ranking at No. 58 and Jones returned to the fray at No. 101.
The Tar Heels would go on to win their fourth ITA National Team Indoor Championship on Feb. 10 in Chicago with a truly dominating, 4-0, performance over UCLA in the final. Just over a week later, Carolina made program history when seven players found themselves in the singles rankings on Feb. 18.Â
Morra (4), Graham (5), Daavettila (6) lined up sequentially inside the top 10 and Sanford and Jones landed at No. 39 and No. 43, respectively. Harvey (No. 81) was joined by fellow rookie Elizabeth Scotty, who garnered her first career ranking at No. 111 to make it seven Tar Heels among the best collegiate players in the country.
Carolina was the first team to compile seven players in one ranking period since Stanford did so in April 2019. A month later, the Cardinal took down the Tar Heels in the NCAA Team Championship semifinals and would win another national title down in Orlando.
As of March 3, which turned out to be the last set of rankings released during the regular season, Graham (3), Daavettila (5) and Morra (6) continued to set the pace. Sanford and Jones sat at No. 51 and No. 52, respectively, and Scotty reached No. 89. The doubles side of things featured Daavettila and Graham at No. 4, Morra and Jones at No. 8 despite not playing together after early November, and Jones and Sanford rose to No. 15 after playing strong tennis in the spring mostly on court two for Kalbas' crew.
Though the final rankings for the season have yet to be released, it's a safe assumption to make that this group of UNC standouts will be well represented not only at the top of the team rankings, but also among the best singles players and doubles tandems in Division I tennis.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ 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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