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The Daily Tar Heel

UNC women's tennis cruises past Appalachian State, 6-1, for second straight win

Women's Tennis
Junior Anika Yarlagadda prepares to return the ball against Safiya Carrington of Louisiana State at the Kitty Harrison Invitational on Sept. 25.

The UNC women's tennis team (2-0) defeated Appalachian State (0-1) in a Saturday afternoon duals match. 

What happened?

UNC swept the doubles round 2-0, with Abbey Forbes and Anika Yarlagadda winning the first match (6-1), followed shortly by Sophia Patel and Lindsay Zink (6-2). Carolina came out firing right from the first serve, never giving Appalachian State a chance to establish themselves in the game. The Tar Heels dominated doubles, setting themselves up perfectly to clear up the competition in the singles matches.

The Tar Heels continued to pick up steam in the singles matches that followed. Yarlagadda finished her match first, while the rest of the Tar Heels followed suit. The Tar Heels won singles 5-1. This closed out the match, giving the Tar Heels their second victory of the season.

Who stood out?

Yarlagadda and her doubles partner Forbes looked sharp today as they won their match 6-1. Yarlagadda's serve looked masterful as she frequently put her opponents off balance for quick points. Anika faced her doubles opponent immediately after. Yarlagadda continued her dominance against Savannah Dada-Mascoll after a doubles win, securing a win against her in singles 6-0, 6-2.

Elizabeth Scotty brought her A-game today as she faced senior Maggie Pate. Scotty started the first set off hot, pressuring her opponent and pushing the pace in her favor.  Scotty’s early push disrupted her opponent's rhythm allowing her to secure a decisive victory for the Tar Heels. Scotty finished her singles match with a 6-1 victory in both sets. Scotty set a precedent, finishing her match first and widening the lead for the Tar Heels.

When was it decided?

Carolina’s victory was decided late into the singles contest. Reily Tran manages to edge out her opponent Ellie Murphey in a three-set thriller. Tran makes a fantastic comeback after losing a close first set 7-5. Tran manages to defeat Murphey 6-0 in the second set and finally close out in the third, winning the contest for the Tar Heels.

Why does it matter?

Going into the season, UNC was ranked No. 2 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. UNC has continued to show why they are rated so highly, starting with a convincing win over Elon on Friday and now a follow-up win the next day over Appalachian State. 

When do they play next?

The Tar Heels have a match against East Carolina on Monday, Jan. 16.

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com

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