No. 1 UNC women's tennis routs Campbell, 7-0, in second match of indoor season
UNC senior Sara McClure swings to strike the ball during a singles match against Campbell in the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. UNC won 7-0.
The No. 1 North Carolina women’s tennis team has six seniors graduating after this season. That’s why one senior, Sara McClure, said ‘enjoyment’ has been a word the group has attached to.
“This season is just having a lot of fun together and really appreciating where we are,” McClure said. “And I think that shows in our matches, too. Like, we're all genuinely happy, genuinely having fun.”
UNC senior Fiona Crawley hits the ball during the women’s tennis match against Campbell on Jan. 14, 2024. UNC won 7-0.
McClure said the team calls this season ‘The Greatest Show.’ In what graduate Abbey Forbes dubbed episode two, North Carolina (2-0) defeated Campbell (0-1), 7-0, continuing its winning start to the indoor season.
UNC entered the match a heavy favorite against a Campbell team which ended its 2022-23 season with a 6-12 record. Claiming the doubles point would not be entirely straightforward, though.
The No. 11 duo of Forbes and senior Reilly Tran found themselves in a 2-2 tie with Campbell’s Veronika Prospalova and Lily Chitambar. The No. 23 duo of senior Fiona Crawley and junior Carson Tanguilig were also tied 1-1 against the Camels’ Mialy Ranaivo and Eeva Ristola.
“Doubles, I mean, you gotta—it’s a sprint,” head coach Brian Kalbas said. “I mean, you gotta, you gotta get off to a good start. You can't kind of work your way into it. And so hopefully we can kinda, you know, learn from that.”
UNC senior Fiona Crawley stands ready as junior Carson Tanguilig strikes the ball during a doubles match against Campbell in the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. UNC won 7-0.
Crawley and Tanguilig corrected course, however, taking the next five games to claim the match 6-1. Their win followed up the No. 1 duo of sophomore Reese Brantmeier and senior Elizabeth Scotty, who swept their matchup 6-0, and the Tar Heels secured the doubles point.
“I think they just started playing much more aggressive,” Kalbas said. “[Tanguilig] started serving really well. [Tanguilig] took over the net. [Crawley] did a great job setting her up. I think they played to their kind of personality on the court.”
But Kalbas said Crawley isn’t just someone who can set others up—her singles match showed she is becoming better at finishing points, too.
UNC senior Fiona Crawley strikes the ball during a singles match against Campbell in the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. UNC won 7-0.
Crawley made her season debut in singles against Ranaivo on court No. 1. The 2023 ITA National Player of the Year took care of business, reminding the crowd of her pinpoint placement and beating Ranaivo in straight sets (6-0, 6-0) to claim UNC’s first singles point.
“She's doing an incredible job of being more active at the net,” Kalbas said.
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McClure also made her season debut in this match, following in Crawley’s footsteps and not losing a single game as she defeated Campbell’s Veronika Prospalova in straight sets. That followed Forbes beating Ristola and Tanguilig’s match-clinching win over Tamsin Hart.
McClure’s approach to her first match? Have fun.
“We're kind of all like high fiving in between courts and hyping each other up,” McClure said. “Yeah, it was a great time.”
Kalbas has coached UNC since 2003. This team, he said, is his deepest ever. He has a point: North Carolina has seven players ranked in the top 45 plus Crawley, who ended last season as the top ranked singles player.
As the Tar Heels look to defend their indoor and outdoor national championships, Kalbas will lean not only on his depth but his team’s unending willingness to compete.
“Sometimes when you get seniors, you get senioritis, but this team is not,” Kalbas said. “They’re motivated as ever.”
Saturday marks North Carolina’s first ranked matchup of the season, when it hosts No. 11 Auburn at 11 a.m.
