UNC women's tennis advances to Athens with 4-0 win over Georgia State

Not even the threat of rain could put a damper on the spirits of the North Carolina women's tennis team Saturday.

For the second day in a row, the Tar Heels dominated their opponent as dark rain clouds hovered ominously above the outdoor courts at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

The team took down Virginia Commonwealth Friday and carried the momentum into Saturday, beating George State.

With the two victories, the Tar Heels (26-5) earned a trip to Athens, Ga. for the NCAA championship quarterfinal.

The Tar Heels were led by freshman Haley Carter, who won in straight sets both days.

“Amazing, honestly, truly amazing," said coach Brian Kalbas of Carter's performance. "For her to come out and lose four games in two matches is truly remarkable. It just shows how mentally tough she is. She's such a tough competitor."

Carter has been dealing with an injury that has prevented her from practicing or playing in doubles matches over the last week, but she was able to overcome it and play well this weekend.

"I felt great today," Carter said. "I'm moving a little better, feeling a little better every day so I'm excited for Athens."

The Tar Heels started the match Saturday by taking the doubles point from GSU.

Carter and junior Carolina Price then gave the Tar Heels a quick 3-0 lead, both winning in straight sets.

Price struggled early in her match Friday, but she took advantage of her opportunity to bounce back Saturday.

“I thought I got a little lucky (Friday) after the first set and then the girl started cramping,” Price said. “I wanted to win on my terms without the girl giving it to me. I was determined to come out and work for every point.”

Freshman Jamie Loeb started off by losing the first two games of her match but recovered to win the match in straight sets to seal the victory over the Panthers and the trip to Athens.

“She got it together and really played focused tennis,” Kalbas said. “She has an amazing ability to not let one day affect the next day or one match affect the next match. It shows how much maturity she has in her game.”

For Price, the trip to Athens is a homecoming — she grew up an hour to the west in Duluth, Ga.

"Half of my family lives in Athens and a lot of my friends go to the University of Georgia, so I am ecstatic," Price said. "They might be wearing the Georgia stuff, but they'll be cheering for me."

The seventh-ranked Tar Heels are scheduled to play ninth-ranked Texas A&M. The Tar Heels lost to Texas A&M when the two played in Chapel Hill in February.

“We’re really excited to compete and keep playing,” Kalbas said. “We like our position right now.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.