Tanguilig Makes Tar Heel History With Eighth NCAA Bid

With seven ITA indoor national championships, 12 Atlantic Coast Conference titles, the 2023 NCAA outdoor title and a slew of All-America players, it's not easy for a North Carolina women's tennis player to stand out amidst the program's longstanding greatness and success.

Say hello to Carson Tanguilig, who's done just that this fall.

By reaching the singles final of last weekend's ITA East Sectional in Chapel Hill, the senior from Alpharetta, Ga., qualified for next week's NCAA Singles Championship for the fourth time.

Having previously qualified for this month's NCAA Doubles Championship for a fourth time by virtue of her win with Susanna Maltby in the ITA Carolina Regional final on October 21, Tanguilig is the first Tar Heel women's player to qualify for the NCAA Championship in both singles and doubles four times.

"It is hard to put into words what it means to be the first Tar Heel to qualify for both events all four years," Tanguilig says. "To be quite honest, I was shocked to find out that I, of all people, was the first one. There are legends who have come through this program who have had more success than me, so for me to put my name down in the history books is pretty special."

Already a five-time All-ACC pick and a 2023 NCAA doubles champion with teammate Fiona Crawley, Tanguilig entered this fall as Carolina's most experienced player after Carolina lost six talented players to graduation after winning the ACC title last spring.

She's grabbed the role of team leader and run with it, expanding her contributions to the team and now leading a contingent of Tar Heels to Waco.

Carson Tanguilig

"She's been an incredible leader both on the court and off the court," says head coach Brian Kalbas. "She shows up every single day, putting in incredible amounts of effort and positive attitude. For her to play with a freshman, Susanna [Maltby], in doubles and guide her to win the regional doubles championship was a remarkable accomplishment for both of them.

"For her to then play like she did in the sectional tournament and ultimately get to the finals and set the UNC record with four straight years of NCAA singles and doubles qualification is so impressive. And this year, with the new format, is different. She really had to earn it. She 100 percent did. I could not be more excited and proud of her and what she's accomplished.

"You have to think about all the incredible Tar Heel players to come through this program. For her to have this kind of record alone speaks volumes not only about her as a player, but as a person and as a leader for us."

The Tar Heels will be sending three singles players and two doubles teams to Waco next week.

Tanguilig, Theadora Rabman and Tatum Evans will take part in the singles championship. Rabman and Evans qualified by reaching the singles semifinals at the ITA All-American Championships in September.

The duos of Tanguilig and Maltby and Rabman and Evans will compete in doubles. Rabman and Evans won the ITA Sectional on Sunday.

"I am super excited to be competing in Waco, especially in both events," says Tanguilig. "Coming in this year without my partner of two years [Crawley] and after a bit of a rocky end to the year for me individually, the ability to keep building on what I have worked for all summer and through the fall is something I am definitely looking forward to. Above everything else, I'm just grateful to be in this position one last time."

The 2024 NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will begin on Tuesday November 19 and run through Sunday November 24.

The championships in Waco mark the conclusion of the 2024 fall season. Carolina will open its spring 2025 dual match campaign on January 12, 2025, with a home doubleheader against James Madison and Campbell at the Chewning Tennis Center.

Susanna Maltby & Carson Tanguilig

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Fiona Crawley

Tatum Evans

Susanna Maltby

Theadora Rabman

Carson Tanguilig

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