Gritty Tar Heels top resilient Cavaliers

More than four hours after the start of Sunday’s women’s tennis meeting between North Carolina and Virginia, one match had yet to be decided.

Even though the Tar Heels had wrapped up the team win nearly an hour before, the third singles match between UNC’s Jenna Long and UVa.’s Rachel DelPriore still lingered in the balance.

But the two players continued to fight, and Long finally emerged with a gritty victory in a third-set tiebreak, putting the finishing touches on a 6-1 win at the Cone-Kenfield Center.

WOMEN'S TENNIS Virginia 1 UNC 6 Maryland 0 UNC 7

Just a day earlier, No. 14 UNC (18-6, 6-1 in the ACC) had cruised to a 7-0 win against Maryland (7-11, 1-6), failing to drop a set in the six singles matches.

But Sunday, Long — who entered the day on an eight-match winning streak — dropped the second set in a tiebreak and needed a gutsy comeback performance in the third set to continue her winning ways.

With Long trailing 5-4, an epic game ensued. Long saved, by one count, seven match points before a DelPriore unforced error evened the set at five.

“I said to the team, ‘That was a good example of just staying positive and never getting down on yourself when the girl’s hitting really good shots,’” said UNC coach Brian Kalbas. “Jenna just stayed composed.”

After DelPriore held serve in the next game, the Cavalier freshman held a love-40 advantage after three unforced errors by Long. Yet Long held on to stave off the three additional match points and won the match in a tiebreak, 7-3.

“I just try to take it one point at a time and not really focus in on it being match point,” said a visibly exhausted Long.

The sophomore also helped UNC secure the doubles point at the start of the match.

With the nation’s sixth-ranked tandem of Kendall Cline and Aniela Mojzis engaged in a battle at first doubles, Long and Sara Anundsen cruised to an 8-0 win at No. 2 doubles, and the third doubles combination of Caitlin Collins and Tanja Markovic also did not drop a game against the Cavaliers (5-12, 1-6).

“It’s probably the most exciting thing that can happen,” said Cline, even though she dropped her doubles match 8-4. “To see our two and three be so solid is just absolutely thrilling. For me, (losing) is not at all a negative thing.”

In singles, both Cline and Mojzis recovered to post straight-set victories. Cline bested Douglas Wink 6-4, 6-3 playing second singles, while Mojzis cruised past Kristen James 6-1, 6-1.

It took a while for the Tar Heels to clinch the match, however. That honor ended up falling to Anundsen at fourth singles, who came back from a 3-1 second-set deficit to win the match 6-3, 6-3.

“It was just a difficult match,” Anundsen said. “We would have, like, 30-ball rallies. And at the beginning of the second set, I was frustrated playing that way, because I kind of played her game.

“I felt pretty tired at the beginning of the second set, and I kind of got a second wind. I got down 3-1. I looked around and saw that the matches were close — I saw that Jenna was in a third set — and I just got it together somehow and was able to fight back.”

After the weekend sweep of two teams near the bottom of the ACC standings, the Tar Heels’ schedule becomes markedly tougher in the final stretch. No. 12 Duke, No. 13 Clemson and No. 8 Georgia Tech loom ahead next week prior to the ACC Championships.

“We couldn’t be in a better frame of mind,” Cline said. “We’re just ready for whatever they’re ready to give us, and we’re ready to take every opportunity that we get.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.