Tennis teams getting ready for big-time matchups

Men's tennis With nine matches remaining on the schedule, the No. 14 men's tennis team has not been defeated all year. Its reward? The players get to compete in eight of nine matches against opponents ranked in the top 50 in the nation. Such is life in the brutal ACC, where 11 powerhouse schools rank in the top 50 nationally. North Carolina will face one of these schools, 12th-ranked Wake Forest, on Wednesday. "It's the best conference in the country," coach Sam Paul said. "We've got to compete hard every day, so we're looking forward to a great challenge." The Tar Heels beat another one of these top-notch ACC schools on the road on Sunday, edging out No. 30 Clemson 4-3. The win moved them to 2-0 in conference play and a perfect 14-0 on the season. "We try not to get caught up in (being undefeated)," senior captain Sebastian Guejman said. "We're feeling confident, but we try to take it one match at a time." The Tar Heels, who have not dropped the doubles point in any match to date, will face a challenge in Wake Forest, who boasts the nation's 25th-ranked tandem. UNC's top singles player, No. 46 Benjamin Carlotti also will be challenged, as he will face No. 7 Todd Paul of the Demon Deacons. "They have a pretty mature team," Guejman said. "We're just going to play our game and run the same patterns we've been running. We just need to stay focused throughout the whole match." Wednesday's match will be UNC's second official shot at a higher-ranked opponent, but Guejman said the underdog mentality has been present all year. "We always try to think that we're the underdogs," he said. "We really get into the match and want it without the pressure of being the favorite. It's even better for us." The Tar Heels hope to get through Wednesday unscathed. If they do, they will be rewarded with a menacing weekend that includes matchups with No. 37 Miami and No. 29 Florida State. Such is life in the most competitive tennis conference in the country. COMPILED BY MIKE EHRLICH Women's tennis Hawaii makes for a great Spring Break destination because of its sandy beaches and sunny skies. But for the North Carolina women's tennis team, it also meant two shutout victories. The Tar Heels rolled past Hawai'i and Gonzaga in Honolulu both by a score of 7-0. No. 12 North Carolina (16-5, 4-1 in the ACC) did not lose a set in either of the two matches. "Hawaii was a really good thing for our team," freshman Katrina Tsang said. "It really helped with team bonding, and we really enjoyed ourselves." It has been a long month for the Tar Heels, and it's not over yet. UNC hasn't had a home match in 18 days since hosting No. 63 Virginia, and they don't have another match in Chapel Hill until April 6. "It's hard, but if we all just keep a good attitude with all the traveling that we're doing, we'll be OK," sophomore Austin Smith said. UNC's win streak is now at five after defeating Boston College 6-1 Sunday afternoon. In that streak, No. 55 Tsang won all four singles matches she played, and coach Brian Kalbas has noticed. "Katrina has really started to come into her own," he said. "I think she's really started to play at the level that she was playing at in the fall." Before UNC can enjoy the comfort of its own home turf, it must get through two top-10 teams. This year's seniors have never defeated No. 7 Clemson, and No. 6 Georgia Tech handed UNC a loss at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in February, so the Tar Heels are looking to make some statements. "Having already played Georgia Tech, we're just excited to have the opportunity to play them again," Kalbas said. "They're a very good team, and we have an opportunity to get a good quality win." COMPILED BY NICOLE LUKOSIUS