UNC men's tennis sweeps Boston College on Senior Day

The North Carolina men’s tennis team relaxed and focused on its seniors on the way to a 7-0 sweep of Boston College (5-15, 0-10 ACC) Sunday.

But for senior co-captains William Parker and Taylor Meyer, their Senior Day singles victories in Chapel Hill didn’t diminish the importance of their final match at UNC’s Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

Shortly after the No. 59 Tar Heels swept the Eagles in doubles matches, Parker found himself losing 3-1 in the first set of his match. As Meyer and the rest of the Tar Heels established big leads against their opponents, Parker fought back and earned the final point of his career on UNC’s home court, giving up just one more game the rest of the match.

The Tar Heels didn’t drop a set all day.

“I’m just happy that both of them got a win,” coach Sam Paul said about the two seniors. “They gave us a lot of tremendous moments on these courts.

“I’m really proud of them and their work ethic. They’re great students, and they’re great representatives of the University. Today’s all about them.”

The victory follows a 5-2 win against No. 25 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem on Friday, clinching the No. 8 seed for the Tar Heels (11-12, 4-6) in next week’s ACC Tournament.

Freshman Brett Clark, sophomore Oystein Steiro and junior Nelson Vick all won their singles matches against both opponents to help lead North Carolina to its wins.

Meyer and Parker both said they were proud of their team’s performances during the weekend to close the season.

“I think it was just extra special, to be honest,” Meyer said. “I was thinking before the match that I wanted to really just enjoy it because this is the last time I’ll be able to play for UNC on the home courts … It’s going to be very sad leaving this place.”

Parker said he knew he wanted to make the day memorable.

The experience was emotional for Paul, too. He had difficulty finding the words to describe how it felt to watch his seniors play their final home match.

“It’s weird,” he said. “It’s sad. And it’s tough. (I’m) happy and I’m sad.”

Paul added that he’s been proud of how Parker and Meyer have led the team out of the tough losing streak it was in just a few weeks ago.

“These guys did not quit,” he said. “I think that says a lot about these two senior co-captains. Because, you know, it’s a pretty sad locker room when you’ve lost six or seven in a row. But they kept fighting.

“Just like in life, good things will happen if you keep working hard … We’re playing our best tennis right now.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.