The season outlook for No. 2 UNC women's tennis after four wins to open the year

After finishing the 2019 season ranked No. 3 in the country and winning a fourth straight ACC championship, the North Carolina women's tennis team is hoping to continue that success into the 2020 spring season. 

All signs point to the Tar Heels doing so, as they have opened the season by going 4-0 in their first four matches. UNC is also now ranked No. 2 in the Oracle/ITA Division I Top-25 team rankings ahead of the start of the season. 

Here's a look back at last season and what to expect for the current one.

What you missed last season

UNC ripped off a perfect 14-0 record in the ACC in 2019, with the Tar Heels' first major competition of the spring season coming at the midseason ITA National Team Indoor Championship. UNC had won the tournament the previous year and was hoping to capture back-to-back titles. 

The Tar Heels defeated Oklahoma State, UCLA and Duke en route to the final, but came up short against Georgia, falling by a score of 4-3. 

Still, UNC went on to clinch the regular season conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament, securing a fourth-straight ACC Championship with a win over Duke. 

In the NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heels hosted the first three rounds — UNC outscored South Carolina State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State by a combined score of 12-2.

In the quarterfinals, UNC faced UCLA in Orlando. The Tar Heels would suffer their first doubles defeat of the season against the Bruins, but were able to rally in singles to earn a 4-1 victory and a spot in the Final Four. 

North Carolina then came up against Stanford in the semifinals and would finally see its season as a team come to an end, falling by a 4-2 margin. 

When all was said and done in 2019, the Tar Heels were ranked No. 3 in the nation. They also had five players named to the ITA All-America list, more than any other program in the country.

Who to watch 

Four of the five Tar Heels named to the All-America list last season return for UNC in 2020: seniors Sara Daavettila, Alexa Graham and Makenna Jones, and sophomore Cameron Morra. 

This past November, Daavettila won the Oracle ITA Fall National Championship singles title, while Graham competed with Team USA in France back in December, going 3-0 and helping lead Team USA to its ninth title in 11 years. 

Last season, Morra was named ACC Freshman of the Year after becoming the first UNC first-year to reach the semifinals of the NCAA singles tournament. 

Expect that core four, which is already a combined 44-11 in singles play this season, to help the Tar Heels compete for a national championship.

The upcoming schedule

On Jan. 25, a 4-1 victory over Old Dominion secured UNC a spot in the ITA National Indoor Team Championship in Chicago. The Tar Heels have reached the championship match for the past five years and will be looking to do so again this year. The tournament takes place Feb. 7-10. 

Before that, non-conference opponents Michigan and Vanderbilt, each ranked in the top 25, visit Chapel Hill on Feb. 1 and 2. 

The Tar Heels have their first ACC match of the season on Feb. 21 against Florida State in Tallahassee. They will also face ACC opponent Miami in Coral Gables the same weekend.

UNC will have its first rivalry matchup of the regular season against Duke on Mar. 25 in Durham and will wrap up the regular season by hosting N.C. State on Apr. 10.

Despite a tough conference slate, the Tar Heels will look to complete a second straight sweep of their conference schedule and compete for an NCAA title in Stillwater, Okla. in May.

@emilythoreson

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com