Aney and Graham lead UNC women's tennis to 4-1 victory over No. 3 Duke

Senior Jessie Aney and junior Alexa Graham have been friends for many years. 

Now, as teammates and doubles partners, they provide a spark of energy that the No. 1 North Carolina women's tennis team thrives on. On Wednesday, this spark proved to be the difference maker in an impressive 4-1 win against No. 3 Duke.

Despite the huge pressure surrounding a top-three rivalry matchup, No. 9 Aney and Graham were unfazed. The two were seen smiling, laughing and high-fiving after every point during the doubles match. The chemistry between Aney and Graham gave them the energy they needed to take control of the match and win, 6-2, against the duo they faced. The duo of junior Sara Daavettila and sophomore Alle Sanford also secured a 6-2 win to grab the doubles point for UNC.

“Jessie and I have been friends from way before college, and we always just have a blast together,”  Graham said. “... When we are out there having fun, instead of worrying about winning or losing, that’s the biggest key to our success.”

Aney carried this momentum into a strong singles performance of her own. After losing the first set, she made a comeback to win the match in three sets. Other singles wins were earned by No. 14 Daavettila and No. 20 Cameron Morra. After Aney's win, the senior credited the energy she picked up from the fans and teammates around her as the key to her come-from-behind victory. 

“I think I started off, and I didn’t quite have the right energy going into the match, and even at the start of the second set," Aney said. "Then I just kinda looked up, and you see everybody there, and everybody cares about you, and you have worked so hard with my team and with coach, and you’re just like, ‘This is my time.'"

Aney’s moment could not have come at a better time, as she clinched the 4-1 victory for UNC. As a senior, it was the perfect way to finish her last regular season match against Duke. However, what meant more to Aney was the fact that she was able to experience it with her teammates. 

“We were all just giving everything we had, and I think we all had really good mindsets, so to be the one to clinch it was icing on the cake," Aney said. "But I think just competing next to my best friends was the most fun part of the day."

After sealing the match, Aney promptly joked about getting the win before her friend. 

“The first thing I heard was Alexa saying ‘Jessie, why didn’t you lose a game?'" Aney said. "So it felt pretty good to be able to beat her to come off because she wanted it, too."

No. 6 Graham faced Duke’s highest-ranked player, No. 18 Maria Mateas, and battled with her for the majority of two hard-fought sets. She displayed her emotions throughout the match. Everyone in the audience could hear her scream whenever she earned a set point. 

Still, Graham made a point of supporting her teammates. Whenever she had a break, she made sure to cheer for them no matter how far away they were. Head coach Brian Kalbas recognized Graham as one of the Tar Heels' motivators.

“It’s unbelievable," Kalbas said. "The way she energizes everybody. You can hear her from the other side."

As for Graham, she embraced her role as a vocal leader.

“I’m certainly the loudest on the team, so I feel like I got to help us out there,” Graham said. 

Graham worked hard to get a one-set lead, but the match went unfinished. Graham was disappointed that she was not able to compete to the end but didn't hesitate to celebrate with her team.

“I know she wanted to finish it, but unfortunately we already agreed to stop it," Kalbas said. "But give her credit for energizing herself and the team at the right moments."

Both Aney and Graham showed a lot of heart and passion, essential not only for their own performances, but for the team as a whole. Their energy was felt by everyone in the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center and was the main reason why North Carolina came out on top against its in-state rival. 

“The exciting and fun thing about them is the energy and the effort they bring," Kalbas said, "And I’m glad that the people that came out were able to witness that."

@ryanheller23

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com