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(11/05/08 5:00am)
CARY — For the second time in four days No. 2 North Carolina and Miami battled well into the second half without a goal.Sunday the two teams met in the final game of the regular season when UNC (17-1-2) was able to wring out a 1-0 win.Wednesday at Wake Med Soccer Park the squads drew each other again — this time in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.And for the second time" the Tar Heels pulled out a 1-0 victory against a stout Miami defense. UNC advanced to play fourth-seeded Boston College at 5 p.m. on Friday.The Hurricanes (10-8-3) share the conference lead in shutouts this season with 11 and illustrated why in both meetings.""It's hard to move the ball against Miami"" coach Anson Dorrance said. They're tough. They're committed to defending. Their kids take physical risks. Their goalkeeper is absolutely superb.""The Tar Heels had difficulty getting behind" around or through the Hurricanes' defense. Miami crammed the box with nine or more players whenever UNC threatened to push through.And when they did goalkeeper Vikki Alonzo who leads the conference with a .864 save percentage was waiting.UNC put up fewer shots and almost half as many shots on goal Wednesday as the team did in the first matchup" but the Tar Heels said they made more of their possessions this time.""It was a great opportunity for us to learn what we did wrong in the first game and try to correct that"" midfielder Tobin Heath said.Instead of scoring off an opponent's mistake as they did Sunday, the Tar Heels managed to create a goal from scratch in the 66th minute.Meghan Klingenberg, dribbling on the right at the top of the box, sent the ball through a pair of defenders to a wide-open Heath at the left post.I was just like" ‘I better get Tobin this ball.' She was screaming for it" Klingenberg said.A second's hesitation drew Alonzo out, and Heath tapped it by her to the right side-panel for the goal.Other decent chances included a Yael Averbuch bullet that hit the right post and a header by Ali Hawkins off a corner that flew over the goal.Dorrance made it a point to tell his players not to take long shots over the defenders, as they did in the first game when UNC showered Miami with 33 shots.The total dropped down to 22 Wednesday, but only because the Tar Heels took more of their possessions deep into the box and didn't settle for low-percentage outside shots.To use a basketball analogy" we don't have Tyler Hansbrough come outside the three-point line and just dump three-pointers" Dorrance said. There's a reason for that. We were much more disciplined in where we were shooting from today.""But while his team held its composure on the field" the coach was sweating it out on the sideline.The Tar Heels had hoped to avoid a tight game with their No. 1 seeding" but Miami didn't exactly provide Dorrance with a chance to send in his reserves like he wanted.""Looking back" I'm obviously a lot more relaxed but if you had taken my blood pressure with five minutes to go" I think my wife would have asked me for an early retirement.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/31/08 4:00am)
The shot margins told the tale of the grind. 4-3. Then 10-8. Then 12-11. Florida State was matching the Tar Heels' speed and ball skills on defense and neither side gave up easy strikes from inside the box. So with UNC's scorers forced to settle for long balls on five of their first eight shots" they found other ways to contribute.""Both teams are gonna have their opportunities where it's a nice buildup" but it's really those kind of scrappy things in around the box the player that takes the extra physical risk that's going to make the difference in the end" senior midfielder Yael Averbuch said.And it's those kind of plays that make the difference in matchups of top-10 teams, even if they don't put points on the board. It's about creating something out of nothing — like when Courtney Jones sprinted to throw herself in front of a member of FSU's back line making a routine clear just after halftime. The forward blocked it, picked up the bounce and turned it into an offensive possession and a corner kick for the Tar Heels.When we first come out" if we rush at the other team they're just gonna be scared they're just gonna back off Jones said. Plays like that just trying to get in" trying to get anything you can are really important.""Casey Nogueira was in the action too" as she dogged Seminole defenders attempting to clear the ball or dribble upfield all night. The forward followed some FSU attackers all the way to the midfield line showing that the ACC's leading scorer can hold her own without the ball.And midfielder Tobin Heath made defensive plays all over the field before she left in the 77th minute with a right ankle sprain. She doubled back to pressure FSU midfielders" moving down the field and chasing down loose balls other players would let roll to the sidelines.The junior was even ready to make a save at the goal line after goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris was fouled and fell while going for a ball in the air. ""I told the girls after the game that I wasn't disappointed with their effort"" coach Anson Dorrance said. There was some great effort out there.""Heath didn't take a sub until her injury and five other UNC veterans went the full 110 minutes" including the entire defensive line. But even though they weren't rewarded with a win" the Tar Heels could rest knowing that they left everything they had out on the field.""They're not the glory plays. They're not the things that you get noticed for or written about in the paper the next day but that's the kind of stuff that really makes a difference on our team"" Averbuch said.That kind of effort from them is priceless out there.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/29/08 4:00am)
It's definitive — North Carolina's days of searching for offense and hanging on to one-goal leads are a thing of the past.The women's soccer team is leading the country with 3.71 goals per game and surpassed last season's goal total before halftime of a 5-0 trouncing of N.C. State on Oct. 17 — with at least five games left to play. Last year UNC struggled to put teams away and finished the season with only 56 goals the fewest in school history.But with 11 straight games with at least three goals the Tar Heel offense has never been hotter and it couldn't be at a better time in the season.UNC will take on No. 6 Florida State tonight in their last regular-season match against a ranked opponent. The match will provide a final test for coach Anson Dorrance's team before postseason play begins Nov. 5 with the ACC Tournament.The last five matchups between these teams have been decided by one goal or ended in penalty kicks.But that streak may end today. Thanks to improved finishing from the forwards and an influx of new talent" the Tar Heels have been churning through opposing defenses.""I think the biggest thing is that the team chemistry is really good this year on and off the field" forward Casey Nogueira said. We've got some freshmen that are helping us a lot. Courtney Jones Rachel Wood Merritt Mathias. I mean all of them" they all help us a lot.""Jones has become a regular in the starting lineup" and four other freshman forwards — Mathias Wood Brittani Bartok and Emmalie Pfankuch — have contributed significant playing time off the bench. And with the addition of junior Jessica McDonald who is in her first season with the Tar Heels after transferring from Phoenix College" UNC has been able to overload opponents with talent. ""I feel completely safe when I go off the field" Nogueira said. Whoever comes in for me I feel secure because of the way I've seen them train this year" they've all been training really hard and pushing themselves.""Dorrance has made shooting across the goal a focus for the team this year" and it's paid off in shooting efficiency. Not only are the Tar Heels scoring more goals they're doing it on fewer shots. The team's shooting percentage is its best since the undefeated 2003 season.They've also corrected another anomaly. In 2007 UNC had more goals (56) than assists (49) meaning that the Tar Heels were scoring off of unassisted goals instead of setting up their teammates. That trend is no more.And while Dorrance is proud of the team's turnaround from last year" his eyes are on the postseason.""You want to have the kind of team that doesn't give up goals"" but you also want to have the kind of team that can score goals.""You can't take a great run in the NCAA Tournament without both.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/06/08 4:00am)
In a top-five matchup with a history of close games it was two newcomers who made the difference and led North Carolina to a win Saturday. Neither No. 4 UNC nor No. 3 Wake Forest could establish dominance" but a pair of first-year players scored their first career goals and the Tar Heels got another off the bench to pull out a 4-3 win at Henry Stadium.Rookies Charlotte Verstraten and Taryn Gjurich each had their first goals at UNC and couldn't have done it in a bigger game.""It was a focus for us. We've talked about it" that when they come in they've gotta go hard" coach Karen Shelton said. It was very important for our team.""We've been relying on Dani Forword to do a lot of our scoring and creating scoring opportunities and penalty corners"" and we needed our bench to really come in and give us a spark.""Ten of the previous 14 UNC-Wake matches had gone to extra periods" including the teams' earlier matchup this year. So it came as no surprise that this game was tight as well. Verstraten opened the scoring on a fast break after a Wake Forest penalty corner was unsuccessful and the defense was slow to get back upfield.The Demon Deacons (9-2 1-2 ACC) answered with two goals in a span of 1:08 to take the lead. The next two UNC goals came off the bench including Gjurich's goal. After Elizabeth Drazdowski deflected a pass by WFU's back line" Gjurich picked up the loose ball and was able to convert for a score.""It was right when I came in" the rookie said. We're always told to get the interceptions and block on the press" and we finally got a ball from it.""The 3-2 margin meant the game was still either team's to win" but UNC (9-2 2-0) was able to wrestle control on an unconventional set play for Forword. On a penalty corner with just under 20 minutes left Melanie Brill waited until the ball was outside the scoring circle to trap it then passed to Forword who brought the ball back in the circle and blasted a reverse stick shot to the upper-right corner for the goal.The goal by Forword who said the team had been waiting to use the play against Wake Forest pushed the lead to 4-2. The junior said of the play" ""it's called ‘Money' because it's meant to be the money shot.""""It's something we've never tried before in competition"" Shelton said of Forword's goal, her 16th of the season. We've been practicing it and we just felt good about Dani and her ability to execute that kind of skill. ""Her backhand's really good and if she puts it on target it's a difficult shot to read"" so we practiced it and they executed it to perfection.""The play spared the teams from having another overtime match" as the Demon Deacons scored again with eight minutes to play to cut the lead to one. Shelton called a timeout in the final minutes and told her team to maintain possession" and the Tar Heels' defense was solid when they needed it. Wake Forest was held to one shot on goal and had no penalty corners in the entire second half.""It was a huge game for us and so I'm incredibly proud for our team for performing under pressure late in the game"" Shelton said. Wake doesn't quit and so we knew they'd make a final thrust and we were able to handle that.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/02/08 4:00am)
Credit Cameron Sexton with saving the Butch Davis bubble.Before last Saturday quarterback T.J. Yates' absence hung over North Carolina's season like a plague. With the starter out from a foot fracture for most of the season the Tar Heels' 2-1 record at the time looked like the farthest beyond .500 UNC might get this year.No. 1 backup Mike Paulus had shown nothing except the ability to throw the game away and an offseason full of hype had dissolved into the Kenan Stadium turf.But out of the deep end of the depth chart Sexton came through and UNC climbed out of a 14-point deficit.And Davis delivered exactly the kind of exhilarating win that UNC needed.Davis' expectations had been ballooning since his hiring as the head coach in Nov. 2006. It didn't matter that he was a complete outsider whose last visit to Chapel Hill had been to pick up his son Drew from golf camp — the new coach (and his resume) commanded loyalty.He rebuilt Miami into a title-winning program and he would rebuild here too.The UNC athletic department was the first to pledge allegiance. A 4-8 record through his first dozen games at UNC? Dick Baddour gave him a $291000 raise and a one-year contract extension.At the time" UNC fans were ticked. A Daily Tar Heel letter to the editor called for an end to money ""lavished on UNC's trophy coaches."" An editoral a day later suggested the program would ""be better off letting him go and finding someone who is more committed to actually rebuilding our program."" Both compared it to the ultimate UNC groaner — tuition increases.But soon enough" fans began to hop on board with Davis. In 2007 the season-opener was sold out. In 2008 all 36250 season tickets were sold before mid-July. And the bubble kept inflating.Yates showed up on a sleeper list for the Heisman. The Tar Heels were picked second in the ACC Coastal Division and expectations continued to rise.With 18 returning starters all signs pointed to this being the year Davis would shine. The streak of six years without a winning record was history we thought.A mediocre performance against McNeese State let a little air out but the 44-12 Rutgers showcase on Thursday night national TV more than made up for it.But two weekends ago the balloon of hype was nearly deflated. UNC blew a 14-point lead and lost at home against Virginia Tech supposedly its only rival for the division title. Yates was out and the redshirt freshman Paulus threw two interceptions in his first meaningful playing time in collegiate football.The Tar Heels even had 14 penalties for 121 yards and who else could the blame fall on but Davis and the coaching staff?So against Miami the whole bundle of expectations was — get this — expected to burst. The Tar Heels were underdogs against Davis' former school on a year when the Hurricanes were on the upswing.Instead they turned it into a 4-point victory. Call it a gift from John Bunting though Sexton's 242-yard two-touchdown zero-interception comeback was unlike most games he had in the Bunting era.The win took UNC one step closer to a winning season and a bowl bid. But more importantly it puts some more weight behind those hopes we all had for Davis.
(09/29/08 4:00am)
Her teammates knew she was good. First-year striker Courtney Jones scored in her very first game as a Tar Heel the season-opener against Charlotte.But Sunday the North Carolina women's soccer players saw their teammate show off her full potential. Jones now UNC's second-leading scorer for the season scored three goals in the squad's 5-0 demolition of Maryland.Her achievement would be lessened since junior midfielder Tobin Heath had a hat trick only a few days before against Clemson — except Heath is an Olympic gold medalist not a rookie. For the Tar Heels' best players such as preseason All-Americas Heath and Yael Averbuch or All-ACC striker Casey Nogueira that kind of production isn't a surprise. It's not an expectation either" but Jones quickly is putting herself in the same category as those established players. ""Courtney has been playing out of her mind" Nogueira said. This is her potential scoring three goals a game because she's so fast. She's so mobile for us that we can just play her balls in easily" and we can just count on her to score.""After scoring twice in the first nine minutes" the first-year forward took three more tries to finish off the hat trick.The first attempt came just after her second goal when Jones ripped a high shot from the right side. Maryland keeper Yewande Balogun made the save over the top of the goal to give UNC a corner kick.Just after halftime Jones lost a perfect opportunity when a centering pass from Nogueira slipped off Jones' toes from point-blank range.On the last try only three minutes before she was subbed out in the second half Jones played a perfect one-on-one to round out the hat trick. While running wide open on the right side she got a pass from Jessica McDonald drew the keeper out and pinned the ball low to the bottom right corner.And if coach Anson Dorrance was asked to point out the best performance on his team Sunday" he'd ""be hard pressed not to pick this freshman" he said after the game.Everything we've asked her to do she's done and any player that has that attitude is going to keep getting better" Dorrance said.The newcomer from Danville, Cali., also has a sports pedigree on her side. Her father, Brent Jones, was an NFL tight end who won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and went to four Pro Bowls from 1992 to 1995.This guy's athletic legacy is without question" Dorrance said. And his daughter is tracking him because she's coachable she's hard working she's fearless she's athletic" and what a great game she had today.""Jones" who wears her father's number 84 said he is a constant source of inspiration. And while catching passes from Joe Montana and Steve Young doesn't necessarily have much to do with going for headers or hitting the corner with a hard shot" it does mean Courtney Jones gets plenty of sports tips from her father.""Definitely" Jones said. Constantly. Every single day. He usually tells me ‘I'm not trying to give you dad advice" I'm trying to give you athlete advice.'""The match was" ironically the first home game her parents had missed all season so Jones had only her coaches and teammates to give her tips at the game Sunday. Fortunately she shares the field with a few other sports stars — including Heath" who was one of the first to speak to her after the third goal.""She told me at halftime that I'd already had a great game" Jones said. She just said" ‘Keep going.'""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/22/08 4:00am)
Due to an editing error the caption on the photo with Monday's pg. 12 story" ""Women's soccer blows past Georgia" Fordham" misidentifies the pictured player. The player in the photo is Yael Averbuch. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
(09/11/08 4:00am)
THURSDAY SEPT. 11 11:13 p.m. NEW BRUNSWICK N.J. -North Carolina made the most of a prime-time TV slot Thursday by shellacking Rutgers 44-12. UNC's defense kept the Scarlet Knights out of the end zone until the fourth quarter while drawing four interceptions out of fifth-year senior quarterback Mike Teel.Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks had two touchdowns each to lead the Tar Heels. The win was the Tar Heels' first outside of the state of North Carolina since a 2002 win against Arizona State.Read the full story in The Daily Tar Heel tomorrow.
(09/08/08 4:00am)
Sometimes even the rookie has expectations to live up to. When coach Anson Dorrance came up to first-year Merritt Mathias at a team dinner to tell her she'd won a starting spot for Sunday's game against Kentucky she already had a standard to beat. Her teammate and fellow first-year striker Courtney Jones took only 49 minutes to score her first career goal in the season opener. So after taking Jones' spot Mathias had the daunting task of matching her performance — or dropping back down to the bench.But instead of slipping out of the lineup Mathias set her own standard. It was one of the first signs of what could be an intense competition among the cache of first-year strikers: only four minutes in Mathias corralled a loose rebound from 15 yards out spun and nailed the ball high past the keeper's fingertips.Although Mathias and Jones aren't in a face-to-face rivalry the two are in competition by nature. Dorrance recruited six new strikers for 2008-09 despite the fact that two of the three forward starting spots are locked down by juniors Casey Nogueira and Nikki Washington.The roster switch for the match against Kentucky was only the beginning of the struggle for that last spot and some are just starting to get time in. First-year Brittani Bartok sporting banana-yellow cleats had her first minutes Sunday.It's an unforgiving environment to start out in as a rookie and though Mathias and Jones seemed to have warmed to the transition of high school to college player remarkably well" nerves still can be an issue.""I mean" starting you've done it all through your career Mathias said. It's just playing out here" being on Fetzer is what you get nervous about. ""All the greats have come through here"" so you have to come out and perform.""The early lead gave the Tar Heels the chance to play nearly the entire roster during the 4-0 rout. Late in the second half" Dorrance even put three first-years in at once while resting Mathias and fellow starters Nogueira and Washington.Those three — Jones Bartok and Emmalie Pfankuch — struggled against the Kentucky defense Sunday" but Dorrance intends for them to continue to get game time.""These are kids we're investing in for the future"" Dorrance said. They're not going to play as much in critical games.""But I think these are kids that are going to start in the future"" and we're just trying to give them more and more minutes to build their confidence because eventually — trust me — they'll be a part of the starting forward line.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu
(08/28/08 4:00am)
Anson Dorrance is always prepared to change his practice tactics.
Even after 19 national championships, North Carolina's women's soccer coach is open to the idea that someone else might have a better coaching method than his own.
So after he saw a weakness in his team's finishing passes last year during the lowest-scoring season in North Carolina's history, Dorrance introduced a new opponent to his squad in preseason practice: mannequins.
These defenders aren't just static - they're plastic.
(08/25/08 4:00am)
North Carolina players trained to dish out physical play found themselves knocked to the ground Friday.
UNC-Charlotte came at the UNC women's soccer team with a mirror - the 49ers played the same aggressive, attacking style the Tar Heels have implemented for decades.
While it kept the match even through halftime, it wasn't enough to hold down UNC's refurbished offense, and the Tar Heels ballooned a 1-1 tie into a 5-1 victory at Fetzer Field.
The visitors attempted to topple North Carolina on every loose ball, and the 49ers piled up 14 fouls and a yellow card.
(08/22/08 4:00am)
Moving a team's third-leading scorer to a defensive position might seem like a bad coaching move.
Doing it to an experienced veteran the year after the lowest-scoring season in school history sounds colossally more so.
But that's exactly the transition that junior Whitney Engen has made after two seasons as a starting forward for the Tar Heels. Engen will make her first start at center back at 7 p.m. today in the season opener against Charlotte.
(08/18/08 4:00am)
Serious questions abound for the state of the collegiate behemoth that is UNC women's soccer.
Because of doubts raised last year, the 2008 season will have a definite mark on the status of the program as the team retools its offense.
The Tar Heels lost more games than they had in 28 years and fell in the third round of the NCAA Tournament despite a No. 1 seeding.
UNC's offense was hit the hardest. A year after the departure of All-America forward Heather O'Reilly, now scoring goals with the U.S. Olympic team, UNC had the fewest goals in school history (56).
Still, worries of impending mediocrity would be brash- - for some perspective, UNC's opponents only scored 15 goals against the Tar Heels last season. Outside observers still ranked the squad No. 3 in the preseason National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.
But even though a losing season in 2008 is unlikely, last year still marks among the least dominant in school history. The season-ending 3-2 loss to Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament stands out.
"No one's really over it," junior back Kristi Eveland said. "It's still kind of fresh in our minds. It was the last game we played at Fetzer (Field).
"It was just the worst feeling, and no one wants to feel that again, so it's definitely motivation."
Coach Anson Dorrance hopes the addition of six first-year strikers will unsettle the starters and cure last year's offensive woes. The Tar Heels frequently were pushed to the limit in 2007 - five games extended into overtime, tying the school record.
He hasn't altered the team's overall strategy, but Dorrance made it a point to aggressively recruit forwards for 2008.
Dorrance intends for the newcomers to put pressure on returning starting forwards Nikki Washington and Casey Nogueira, both determined to up the scoring, too.
"We want to score a lot more," Nogueira said. "Specifically, our forwards need to be more dynamic than last year. We need to make a lot more runs off the ball."
The Tar Heels also must cope with the losses of experienced defensive backs Ariel Harris and Jessica Maxwell. The pair of seniors each played more than 2,000 minutes last year - almost the entire season.
The returning mainstay is Eveland, a junior defender who led the team in minutes during the 2006 national championship year.
This year she'll be joined in the backfield by junior Whitney Engen, who, after starting 23 games at forward last season, was moved by Dorrance to defense in the spring.
"She's an excellent leader for us as a forward, and I think that's translated right into the back line," senior midfielder Yael Averbuch said. "She's really vocal."
Eveland is confident that, by communicating more, the backfield lineup will fit together without a problem.
"Even if we don't have experience, if we're all on the same page it usually works out."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/24/08 4:00am)
Austin Smith got the full spectrum of highs and lows this weekend as North Carolina women's tennis split a pair of matches against ACC opponents.
No. 95 Smith was frustrated all day long Friday against the defending national champions, Georgia Tech, first falling 8-3 in doubles with Sophie Grabinski and then losing in straight sets to No. 39 Whitney McCray.
Then Saturday, Smith turned it around for crucial victories in doubles and singles to earn the Tar Heels's first victory against Clemson in the last seven meetings.
But that's just the another weekend in the life of the No. 3 spot on UNC's six-person singles lineup, where Smith could play the 20th-best player in the country one day and the 220th the next.
In some matches, such as against the Yellow Jackets, Smith battles uphill against some of the nation's top talents. On others, she's expected to be consistent and secure a win against a lesser opponent.
Smith is the team's highest-ranked upperclassman, so in some ways she's expected to provide leadership and support for the team while still playing against a wide range of skilled players. The junior's ranking has fluctuated from No. 72 to No. 100 this season after reaching as high as No. 33 in the preseason of last year.
"Every point's the same, but if we get Austin going and get her competing at a consistent level, I think it could really help our team," UNC coach Brian Kalbas said Saturday. "We need her kind of leadership that she showed out there today."
Against her Ga. Tech opponent, Smith was thrown off her game several times. She led 3-2 in both sets but dropped four games in a row each time for a 6-3, 6-3 defeat. Faults and unforced errors were aplenty, while Smith was visibly flummoxed after several mistakes.
But in doubles against Clemson, this time partnered with Katrina Tsang, Smith fought back from deficits of 1-3 and 4-6 to tie the score at 7-7. It was a classic pressure situation, as UNC had won at No. 1 doubles and lost at No. 3.
"It's always nerve-wracking being in that position but you've just got to try to relax, play through it, just put a little more salt on the other team," Smith said.
With all eyes on the middle court, Smith was dominant from the baseline and lost only a single point in the next two games. The duo outlasted their opponents, pulled out the 9-7 victory and secured the crucial doubles point for UNC.
She followed it up in singles play with a speedy 6-2, 6-3 victory against No. 124 Federica van Adrichem, the only two-set singles win of the day for the Tar Heels.
"It was nice to have two wins because I've played a lot of tough matches so far," the junior said. "I've never beat anyone on Clemson's team since I've been here."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/25/08 5:00am)
A chance at redemption was in sight for the North Carolina women's tennis team Friday night. The Tar Heels had taken the doubles point - and the momentum-- from No. 2 Northwestern, the team that ended UNC's run at the ITA National Indoors on Feb. 9 with a 4-0 decision.
But again the Wildcats' depth was too much for the Tar Heels, who fell 5-2 at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.
Sunday, however, No. 5 UNC (7-4) ended its three-game losing streak with a victory against No. 15 Notre Dame, 6-1.
"Last time we didn't win the doubles point, and we didn't give ourselves a chance to win," said UNC coach Brian Kalbas of the team's match against Northwestern. "I really felt that we could have won this match."
Kalbas found an unlikely way to change the doubles momentum - breaking up the No. 7 doubles duo of Sanaz Marand and Sophie Grabinski and pairing Marand with Katrina Tsang. The two sophomores, who never had played as a doubles team before Friday, took down the No. 10 pair in the country with a resounding 8-1 victory.
"I really would believe in any pairing that Brian puts together," said Tsang, who added that she'd practiced only once with Marand before Friday.
Tsang and Marand, each ranked in the top 30 as individuals, could be a formidable combination as they gain experience together.
"They have a lot of potential," Kalbas said. "Their games compliment each other really well."
Marand managed to carry her momentum into a singles win, but all five other Tar Heels lost in singles in straight sets against a supremely talented Northwestern lineup with five ranked players.
"We were definitely a tired team when we played them in Wisconsin (in the ITA Nationals), but this time we were really hungry and fresh, and I think we made them earn it," Tsang said.
Two days later against Notre Dame, Tsang and Marand picked up right where they left off and were leading the No. 3 pair in the country 4-3. They eventually lost 8-5, but it was of little consequence in the team meet as UNC won the doubles point and five of six singles matches.
Junior Grabinski won once and lost once while filling in for the injured Jelena Durisic during the weekend. She had played in singles twice before this weekend but likely will take a permanent spot in the lineup while Durisic recovers from an ACL tear against Florida.
"We needed another player to step in, . and I can see her moving up the lineup, the way she's playing," Kalbas said.
Contact the Sports Editor
at sports@unc.edu
(02/18/08 5:00am)
Collegiate tennis is designated a team sport, but only one of the seven points that make up the scoring for each match involves more than one person - the doubles point.
And North Carolina's pair of Sanaz Marand and Sophie Grabinski, ranked No. 8 at the beginning of the season, plays a critical part in determining who wins that essential point.
Lately, though, they've been struggling in the No. 1 spot, suffering an 8-3 loss Sunday to Megan Alexander and Marrit Boonstra of Florida.
"We kept telling each other that we knew what we had to do but we didn't execute," Marand said.
At the ITA National Indoors, the combo won once, lost once and were trailing 7-5 to Northwestern's top pair when the doubles point was decided.
Marand's frustration was evident Sunday, when there were several miscommunications between the two. Down 6-2, Marand made an error and then, with the ball trickling back to her, nailed it point-blank back into the net as if trying to erase her mistake.
Yet Grabinski and Marand remain relatively upbeat despite their recent funk. Stability is one of the strengths of the duo, as the only UNC doubles team to play together in all nine meets this season.
"It helps that we're friends off the court, and we do a lot of things together off the court, so we know each other's personalities," Grabinski said.
UNC looks to its No. 1 doubles pair for leadership, and the duo's play next weekend in a rematch with Northwestern certainly will be a factor in the team's success.
Winning the doubles point is crucial to team tennis because it gives each of the six singles players momentum going into their individual matches, said coach Brian Kalbas.
When the doubles point is lost, it puts pressure on the entire team. The Tar Heels have lost the doubles point in each of their three losses this season.
"(Florida) really were confident and established their momentum," Kalbas said of the team's win of the doubles point.
"Beating a top-10 team and losing the doubles point is very difficult to do."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/17/08 5:00am)
Collegiate tennis is designated a team sport but only one of the seven points that make up the scoring for each match involves more than one person - the doubles point.And North Carolina's pair of Sanaz Marand and Sophie Grabinski ranked No. 8 at the beginning of the season plays a critical part in determining who wins that essential point.Lately though they've been struggling in the No. 1 spot" suffering an 8-3 loss Sunday to Megan Alexander and Marrit Boonstra of Florida.""We kept telling each other that we knew what we had to do but we didn't execute"" Marand said.At the ITA National Indoors, the combo won once, lost once and were trailing 7-5 to Northwestern's top pair when the doubles point was decided.Marand's frustration was evident Sunday, when there were several miscommunications between the two. Down 6-2, Marand made an error and then, with the ball trickling back to her, nailed it point-blank back into the net as if trying to erase her mistake.Yet Grabinski and Marand remain relatively upbeat despite their recent funk. Stability is one of the strengths of the duo, as the only UNC doubles team to play together in all nine meets this season.It helps that we're friends off the court" and we do a lot of things together off the court so we know each other's personalities" Grabinski said.UNC looks to its No. 1 doubles pair for leadership, and the duo's play next weekend in a rematch with Northwestern certainly will be a factor in the team's success.Winning the doubles point is crucial to team tennis because it gives each of the six singles players momentum going into their individual matches, said coach Brian Kalbas.When the doubles point is lost, it puts pressure on the entire team. The Tar Heels have lost the doubles point in each of their three losses this season.(Florida) really were confident and established their momentum"" Kalbas said of the team's win of the doubles point.Beating a top-10 team and losing the doubles point is very difficult to do.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/04/08 5:00am)
Jelena Durisic's problem wasn't her feet or her backhand or any of the other essential parts of a tennis game. It was her toss.Again and again as she lifted it into the air" the ball would drift just far enough to the left or right to throw off her serve.""I got nervous"" Durisic saidSaturday. You'll notice if I'm nervous because the toss is going to be a little bit off.""Durisic was in a tight doubles match against Minnesota's No. 2 pair" Karina Chiarelli and Lindsay Risebrough. But more importantly the rest of her Tar Heel teammates were following every movement which wasn't helping her nerves. Durisic's match the last to finish took a full 20 minutes longer than the other pairings.So while the rest of her team shouted words of encouragement from the neighboring courts" Durisic was rolling her eyes and thrusting her arms out in disbelief after each of her own mistakes.""I'm one of those people who are like" if I don't perform I get so pissed off that I play much better she said. I sort of like to rip it to pieces forget about it move on. Be aggressive" because my game is aggressive.""Coach Brian Kalbas has been impressed thus far with her style of play.""She really puts people on their heels with her big serve and her big forehand" he said. When she's confident" she really can be overpowering and intimidating.""Nerves aren't typically an issue at home matches" where most of the spectators are friends and family. For a freshman like Durisic though" the pressure of playing on a varsity team can be surprising sometimes.""It was something new"" she said. I'm still not used to the whole match phase because in the fall we played all on our own.""Even though the doubles point had already been decided in favor of UNC" both sides got emotionally involved in the third match as momentum shifted back and forth. Durisic and partner Katrina Tsang had the advantage several times first at 4-3 then 6-5 and then 7-6" only to lose in the tiebreak.""I think we just lost focus after we were up 6-5"" Durisic said. We started focusing too much about certain things instead of just on our shots and moving our feet. I got a little nervous I have to say.""When the pressure eased off" however she had no problem dispatching Danielle Mousseau in her singles match. Durisic found her way back in the kind of form that earned her a No. 29 ITA singles ranking in the fall.She lost only two games en route to that straight-set victory and followed it up on Sunday against Michigan State with wins in both her singles and doubles matches. Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/22/08 5:00am)
While top-shelf talent is never a bad thing, it always helps to have the depth to back it up. So far in January, the North Carolina women's tennis team has shown it has plenty of both.
Katrina Tsang, Austin Smith and Laura Reichert were welcomed home by their team from a tournament in Las Vegas with resounding victories in a season-opening doubleheader Friday at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.
Neither UNC-Greensboro (0-1) nor Elon (0-2) won a set in singles play against the Tar Heels, who registered dual 7-0 victories. The team was efficient in doubles play as well, particularly in the second match of the day against Elon.
"I was really impressed with our doubles energy and our communication, so I think that's a key thing for us," coach Brian Kalbas said. "For us to be a good team, we're going to have to win the doubles point."
UNC (2-1) beat Elon in the three doubles match-ups by scores of 8-0, 8-0 and 8-1.
Earlier this month in Las Vegas, Tsang and Smith advanced to the doubles finals of the 2008 Freeman Memorial Tennis Championship. Tsang also reached the finals of the singles bracket in her first competitive event since returning from hip surgery.
"She played awesome," Smith said. "She played unbelievable. I was very impressed, since she hadn't played since, like, May."
Tsang last competed in the NCAA tournaments last year and went to Las Vegas simply to get a few matches in before the season started.
"I definitely got as much tennis as I could," Tsang said. "I really had no idea what would happen. I came close to losing first round even, and I had three-set matches every single match."
The only rusty sign Tsang showed Friday was when she nailed Reichert in the back of the head on match point of her second doubles match. Reichert was fine, and moments later the pair finished off their almost flawless victory.
"We actually were trying to set up a point there to try to end it well because we were up 7-0," Tsang said. "It's all good. We had a good laugh about it."
The Tar Heels had those two spring victories under their belts before they traveled to No. 22 Tennessee for their first major match of the season Monday.
The Volunteers took the doubles point to gain an early lead. The match would eventually come down to the No. 6 singles match, in which Meg Fanjoy lost to No. 95 Zsofia Zubor in three sets, giving Tennessee (2-0) the 4-3 victory.
And closely contested matches could be a norm for this UNC team when conference play begins.
"Our schedule, our conference, is incredibly tough, so we're going to have to be mentally committed throughout and finishing strong throughout the matches and in great physical shape," Kalbas said.
Contact the Sports Editor
at sports@unc.edu.
(11/19/07 5:00am)
For the North Carolina coach who always says, "The most important game is the next one," there's finally a chance to rest.