Cavs Edge Men's Tennis In ACC Final, 4-3

Sunday, April 25

Rome, GA

2 PM

North Carolina

Virginia (Final)

Josh Peck

Photo by: ACC

April 25, 2021 | Men's Tennis

Box Score Results (.pdf)

ROME, GA.— Top-seeded Virginia outlasted third-seeded North Carolina, 4-3, to win the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship match on Sunday.

Coming off a marathon, 4-3, win over No. 2 seed Wake Forest in Saturday's semifinal and playing in their first ACC final since 2018, the Tar Heels pushed the Cavaliers to the limit and led by scores of 2-0 and 3-2 before eventually falling, 4-3.

With William Blumberg limited solely to doubles action on Sunday and Rinky Hijikata missing the match entirely (both due to sore ankles), an improvised lineup brought UNC to the brink of its first ACC title since 2002.

Carolina began the afternoon by winning a dramatic doubles point, handing UVA just its second doubles point loss of the season. Virginia's Ryan Goetz and Chris Rodesch beat Mac Kiger and Simon Soendergaard at No. 2 doubles, then Blumberg and Brian Cernoch posted a 6-4 win over 10^th-ranked Carl Soderlund and William Woodall.

Benjamin Sigouin and Josh Peck clinched the doubles point with a 7-6 win at No. 3 doubles, winning the tiebreaker, 7-4.

Cernoch grabbed the first singles win of the afternoon, dispatching No. 44 Jeffrey von der Schulenburg, 6-0, 6-2, for a 2-0 Tar Heel team lead. Soderlund responded with a win over Sigouin at No. 1 singles to make it 2-1, then tied the score at 2-all when Gianni Ross beat Kiger at No. 6.

Carolina regained the lead, 3-2, when Peck beat Rodesch in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 3 singles.

The Cavaliers picked up wins at No. 5 and No. 4 singles to capture the ACC title by a 4-3 score.