Despite Hayley Carter’s one-legged heroics to keep her team in it until the last match on Court 5, the Yellow Jackets stole a 4-3 victory in Chapel Hill, handing the Tar Heels their second loss of the season. There were no tears shed. No hearts broken. Instead, there was foresight.
“It’s going to be a momentum-builder for us going forward in an unusual way I think,” Carter said after Monday’s match.
And while it might not be the story of redemption told from Phoenix earlier in the week, North Carolina’s resiliency was put on display in its 4-0 win against No. 8 Michigan on Thursday.
While the courts were still dry — and the wind speed was less than 20 mph — head coach Brian Kalbas worked to refocus his team, experimenting with three different doubles teams. Senior Carter and first-year Sara Daavettila won 6-1 on Court 1, and redshirt senior Rachael James-Baker and sophomore Jessie Aney won, 6-1, to seize the ever-so-crucial doubles point.
“I’m really happy with how we played doubles,” Kalbas said. “We played with some different combinations. Jessie and Rachael had not played ever together, and for them to kind of step up and win 6-1 on Court 3 and play with such intensity and focus was amazing for us.”
The Tar Heels grabbed three of six first sets, but were down in five-second sets when the rain came. The match had to continue indoors against a team that had proven tough under the lights.
Time to refocus — again.
Carter looked up at the scoreboard. Even though sophomore Chloe Ouellet-Pizer captured Court 6 easily, 6-2, 6-3, to push the score to 2-0, the match was growing tight. She knew her match could determine the decision.
