The fifth-seeded North Carolina women’s tennis team punched its ticket to the NCAA semifinals with a 4-2 victory over No. 13 LSU on Thursday afternoon at the Hurd Tennis Center. Behind a clean sweep in doubles and key singles performances, the Tar Heels (27-4, 11-1 ACC) held off the Tigers (24-8, 10-5 SEC) despite an untimely injury to star junior Reese Brantmeier.
Doubles Sweep Sets the Tone
UNC came out sharp in doubles, claiming the early 1-0 advantage:
- On court two, Carson Tanguilig and Susanna Maltby executed crisp volleys and sharp returns to secure a 6-3 win.
- On court three, Tatum Evans and Thea Rabman rallied from a 0-3 deficit to win 7-5, clinching the doubles point.
- Just moments later, Brantmeier and Alanis Hamilton won a 7-4 tiebreaker on court one to complete the sweep, overcoming a late LSU push.
Singles: Depth Delivers Despite Injury Setback
The Tar Heels carried their momentum into singles, winning four of six first sets. However, adversity struck early:
- Brantmeier, returning from a prior meniscus injury, landed awkwardly during a serve at 3-2 in the first set and retired shortly after — tying the match 1-1.
- Tanguilig, a senior leader, responded with a flawless 6-1, 6-1 win to give UNC the lead back.
- LSU evened the score again as Hamilton fell 6-3, 6-1, but Evans swiftly restored the advantage with a 6-1, 6-2 win.
- On court six, first-year Claire Hill clinched the match. Up 5-3 in the second set, she fired an over-the-shoulder backhand winner down the line to set up her 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Looking Ahead
With the win, UNC advances to the NCAA semifinals for a highly anticipated clash with No. 1 seed Georgia on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET. The match will be held at the Hurd Tennis Center as the Tar Heels aim for a return to the national final.
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