'Bring your best shot': No. 1 UNC women's tennis gears up for postseason play

The North Carolina women’s tennis team is No. 1 in the country and unbeaten in 23 matches this year as it gears up for the ACC Championship, which will be held in Rome, Georgia, on April 23-25. 

UNC has also secured the ACC regular season title and goes into the tournament as the No. 1 seed. 

“It’s obviously great to have had such a successful season,” head coach Brian Kalbas said. “But it's more the enjoyment of being around such a hardworking, dedicated team than the ranking and all the results. I mean, it's just fun to come to practice, fun to compete.”

Senior Sara Daavettila said it’s more than just talent that has contributed to all of UNC's wins this season. She said although skill is important, the team is also hardworking and understands that extra individual effort in the workout room or on the court adds up. 

“I think it’s the relationships too,” Daavettila said. “We all get along incredibly well and we love being around each other, and I think you can see that camaraderie on court.”

The Tar Heels didn’t get the chance to participate in the ACC Championship last year because of COVID-19, so the opportunity to compete in postseason play this year will be meaningful for the team.

With all of the COVID-19 protocols in place, Kalbas is thankful the University and its administration have been successful in navigating through the season, while also crediting opposing teams for doing their part. 

“There are so many people that do so much work that allow us to play during this COVID time period, it's amazing,” Kalbas said. “If it wasn't for them, we would not be able to play.”

North Carolina will go into the tournament coming off a 7-0 shutout victory against Wake Forest that brought its winning streak to 41 matches, extending the program record. 

“We're just trying to take it match by match,” junior Cameron Morra said. “I think that's kind of how we've always viewed everything, and I don't think anything is going to change.”

Even though the Tar Heels have had a perfect season so far, they’re still focused on what they can improve on as they gear up for the tournament. 

Some areas the team will address are its conditioning and stamina, as much of the postseason will be played in warmer climates. Additionally, Kalbas said that he hopes the team can continue its strong play in doubles matches, where it has improved throughout the course of the campaign.

Daavettila also said that the team will be looking to get better every match as the ACC Championships progress and not take anything for granted.

“Tournament season is my favorite time,” Daavettila said. “It's so special and I'm so excited, and the ACC is one of the toughest conferences, so I'm really pumped for all the competition that we're going to get.”

Kalbas said the team is reading a book called “What Drives Winning” and the Thursday night before the tournament, they will discuss a chapter to help give them the right mental approach for Friday’s match.

“It's gonna be a test for us to see how we handle teams the second time around when they know what they're getting themselves into, and we know the same thing,” Kalbas said. 

Daavettila hasn’t been to Rome to compete since she was a first-year, when the team won the 2017 ACC Championship. Now, she is excited to go back and hoping history will repeat itself.

“Bring your best shot,” Daavettila said. “We want it, we want to play a competitive match, we want to play people at their best, and I hope teams will bring it because that'll make it more fun for us. It'll make it more fun for them and for the people watching.”

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