Sara Anundsen

Height:
5-6
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Littleton, Colo
High School:
Columbine

CAREER
NCAA doubles champion and two-time All-America • A 2007 UNC graduate, combined with Jenna Long to win the 2007 NCAA doubles title - the first national championship in program history • Earned All-America honors in 2006 and 2007, and helped lead the Tar Heels to a pair of Sweet Sixteens and an Elite Eight • Spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Tar Heels, before taking over as head coach at Davidson College for four seasons from 2014-2018 • Became the head coach at the University of Virginia in the 2018-19 season.

SENIOR SEASON (2006-07)
2007 NCAA doubles champion with Jenna Long • The duo finished the 2007 season 29-6 and was named ITA National Doubles Team Of The Year. By virtue of their NCAA title, Anundsen and Long also earned a wild card berth into the 2007 U.S. Open • Entered the spring ranked No. 16 in the nation in doubles with teammate Jenna Long and No. 29 in the region in singles• Opened the fall season ranked No. 1 in the nation in doubles with Long • Finished the fall with a 5-3 doubles record that included first-round wins at the ITA All-American Championships and the ITA National Indoor Championships • Advanced to the Southeast Regional doubles semifinal • Ranked No. 70 in the nation in singles during the fall.

JUNIOR SEASON (2005-06)
Posted an overall 25-11 singles record and 42-12 doubles record • Had an outstanding season in doubles with partner Jenna Long • The duo went 23-5 in dual action • Tandem made school history in the fall 2005 being the first Tar Heel duo to advance to the finals of the ITA National Indoors, where they fell to the then sixth-ranked duo in the nation, Stanford’s Alice Barnes and Anne Yelsey, 8-5 • Anundsen and Long would face the Stanford duo again in February as UNC fell to Stanford in the quarterfinals of the ITA National Indoors • Made UNC history again in the NCAA Championships, advancing to the semi-finals where they fell to Fresno State’s Sainz and Winterhalter, 7-5, 6-3 • Pair upset two No. 1 duos in the nation, Notre Dame’s Catrina and Christian Thompson and Georgia’s Basu and Robinson • Earned first team All-America status with Long • Tar Heel duo ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation • Ranked as high as No. 62 in singles polls • Played mainly at No. 3 singles for UNC, tallying a 17-6 record • Won the deciding match over Wake Forest to advance the Tar Heels to the Sweet 16 • At No. 3 singles, Anundsen clinched the match in a three-set victo-ry over Ana Jerman, an upset win as Jerman was ranked 125th • Clinched the Virginia Tech match at No. 3 singles with a 7-6, 6-2 win over JJ Larson • Upset the No. 62-ranked singles player in the country, Georgia Tech’s Alison Silverio, clinching the match and hand-ing Georgia Tech their first ACC loss of the season • Defeated No. 41 Boglarka Berecz of Florida, pushing the score to 3-0 • Tar Heels would clinch the match, 4-3, handing Florida it’s first loss of the season and earning the Tar Heels’ highest ranked win in history.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2004-05)
Helped UNC reach the NCAA quarterfinals where she defeated Maria Brito, giving Carolina the only point in their 4-1 loss to Clemson in the Elite Eight • Played mainly at the No. 4 singles for UNC • Posted a 27-11 singles record and an overall 33-8 doubles record paired with Jenna Long • Tar Heel tandem ranked as high as No. 24 in the ITA rankings • Posted a seven-match win streak in late March and early April in singles, all against conference teams • With doubles partner Long, the pair had an eight-match win streak which began with an upset of the No. 20-ranked Vanderbilt tandem of Bertrand and Fish.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2003-04)
Was a strong force for the Tar Heels • Voted Most Valuable Player by her teammates • Played mainly at No. 4 and 5 single • Started the fall with a seven-match winning streak and had another seven-match win streak in mid-season • Had a team-high 29 wins and went 29-9 on the season • 21-6 in dual play and 5-3 in the ACC • Was ranked No. 65 from January 13 to February 23, 2004 • In doubles, partnered with Jenna Long to go 10-4 at No. 3 for UNC • The pair went 6-1 in ACC doubles play • Also paired with Caitlin Collins in doubles play.

PREP/PERSONAL
In early 2003, she was ranked No. 51 in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) 18-and-under division • Had been ranked as high as No. 19 in 18-and-under • Ranked No. 1 in the 16-and-under division in 2001 and No. 2 in 2002 • Won singles titles at the ITA summer sectionals and the USTA National Open in 2001 • Won Peach State and Gator Bowl in 16-and-under divi-sion • Placed third at National clays in 18-and-under doubles division • Placed second at International Hardcourts doubles • Played on high school tennis team sophomore, junior and senior years • Member of varsity swim team during senior year • Tennis State Champion in 2001, 2002 and 2003 in singles • Three-time All-America • Two-time All-State Academic Honors • Majoring in management & society • Most admired athlete is James Blake • Biggest sports thrill was getting to the finals of the National Indoors • Lists her first coach, Mark Vines, as having the greatest influence on her athletic career • “Tuesday’s with Morrie” is her favorite book • Favorite food is PF Chang • Lists “Grey’s Anatomy” as her favorite TV show • Sara Lynn Anundsen is the daughter of Laura and Steve Anundsen • Born June 21, 1985, in Denver, Colo.