Freshman Brayden Schnur defeated the No. 5 player in the nation in a tight, whirlwind of a match — a huge, exciting, nail-biting victory for the North Carolina men's tennis team.
“I knew if I could play my game, and I played with a lot of heart and for my team, I could get the win,” he said.
Schnur lost the first set in a tiebreaker, won the second 6-3. He dug in and continued his fight, earning a point for the Tar Heels with a 7-5 victory in the third set.
But it wasn’t enough.
And all Schnur could do was watch as senior Nelson Vick lost his match in two sets, ending the team's season in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament — powerless to change the team’s outcome despite his stellar performance.
“It was a lot, actually, especially being the last match of the season,” Schnur said. “It’s definitely not the best feeling in the world.”
UNC fell 4-2 to No. 2 Oklahoma Sunday after a four-and-a-half hour battle at the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Facility in Athens, Ga. The match was pushed back an hour and moved indoors because of rain — factors coach Sam Paul said did not affect the players’ performances.
“It’s always sad when the year ends,” Paul said. “It was the last chance to work with the guys all together, and it was one of the best groups we’ve ever had.”
The team enjoyed early success Sunday, playing some of its best doubles of the season to win the doubles point after Schnur and sophomore Brett Clark clinched an 8-5 victory. Minutes earlier, freshmen Jack Murray and Ronnie Schneider won their match 8-6.
