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Senior Day festivities bittersweet for UNC women’s tennis team

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Surrounded by family, friends and the sound of laughter and music, the No. 5 North Carolina women’s tennis team celebrated a victorious end to its regular season this weekend.

The Tar Heels swept the final weekend of the season with a 5-2 win against Maryland and 4-0 demolition of Boston College.

But for three of the Tar Heels, the Senior Day festivities were bittersweet.

“I’m really happy that we won on Senior Day and finished strong for the regular season, but at the same time I’m sad that I won’t be here next year,” senior Shinann Featherston said.

Her fellow seniors, Haley Hemm and Jennifer Stone, also said they feel that sadness, as they prepare to say final goodbyes to a team that feels more like a family.

Hemm believes this year’s team developed that familial bond during its trip to Puerto Rico during Spring Break and it has only gotten stronger as the season has progressed.

“I’d say we’re the closest team in the NCAA, but of course I’m very biased,” Hemm said.

“We’re a big family; we love each other a whole bunch, and every time we walk on the court, we’re playing for each other.”

Stone also said she feels those bonds but believes that they are especially strong among the three seniors.

The three of them have been together since coming in as starry-eyed freshmen four years ago, and Stone is happy to have them by her side now as she prepares for both the postseason and after.

“I couldn’t ask for two better people to leave with. (Hemm and Featherston) have just been my best friends through everything,” Stone said.

Through exciting wins, tough losses and any other obstacles put in their way, Featherston also knows that this team will always be there for her and that made Senior Day an emotional one for her.

She tried not to cry or think about those inevitable goodbyes and focus instead on making deep runs into both the ACC and NCAA tournaments.

“They’re my second family. We love each other so much, and we work really hard for one another, and I’m really lucky to be on a team like this,” Featherston said of her teammates.

“(Senior Day) came so fast, but I know we have a couple weeks left, and hopefully we’ll go far in the tournaments.”

Coach Brian Kalbas also knows how close his team is and how important bonds like those can be during matches.

He is glad to be able to recognize this year’s senior class with a win and hopes to continue to do so into the postseason.

“For these (seniors) to get the recognition they so richly deserve is wonderful, but it is bittersweet because they’ve meant so much to our program,” Kalbas said.

“They’re amazing individuals and great tennis players as well.”

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