CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Auburn women's tennis team came up short against the nation's No. 2-ranked squad Friday afternoon, falling to North Carolina 4-0 at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.
The Tigers (2-1) gave a tremendous effort in doubles and were in the thick of three singles matches, but the Tar Heels (3-0) proved to be too much in the opening round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
"We earned opportunities on most courts today," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "The problem is most just isn't enough when you play elite level teams. We need all eight players fully bought in and invested in what we are doing all the time. Although we didn't capitalize or execute like we would have hoped, there are a lot of positives we can move forward with. Tomorrow we will be able to grow and build on today as we play another team that will push us."
A hard-fought doubles point went UNC's way to give the Tar Heels an early 1-0 lead. After Carolyn Ansari and Yu Chen fell on court 3, 6-1, the matches on the top two courts went down to the wire. Madeline Meredith and Georgie Axon were down 5-2 on court 2 but won three straight to square it at 5-5 and eventually push to a tiebreaker. In a battle of top-10 doubles teams on court 1, Auburn's ninth-ranked Selin Ovunc and Taylor Russo led 5-3 and were serving for the match, but UNC's sixth-ranked team of Graham and Daavettila won the next four games to take a 7-5 win and clinch the first team point.
UNC went ahead 2-0 as Chen fell to fourth-ranked Sara Daavettila on court 2, 6-0, 6-3. Meredith came up short against Elizabeth Scotty on court 6, 6-3, 6-2, and the Tar Heels clinched the match as No. 8 Alexa Graham defeated Ovunc on court 3, 6-4, 6-1.
When play was halted, 79th-ranked Russo was down a set but leading 3-1 in the second against No. 2 Cameron Morra; Georgie Axon was tied 4-4 in the second set after dropping the first set 6-1 to No. 36 Alle Sanford; and Carolyn Ansari had fallen in a first-set tiebreaker and was one game into the second set against Makenna Jones.
Auburn will face Columbia at 5 p.m. CT Saturday in the ITA Kick-Off consolation match. Links to live stats and live scoring are available on the women's tennis schedule page at AuburnTigers.com.
For the latest on Auburn women's tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#2 North Carolina 4, Auburn 0
Doubles
1. #6 Graham/Daavettila (UNC) def. #9 Ovunc/Russo (AU), 7-5
2. #59 Meredith/Axon (AU) vs. Sanford/Jones (UNC), 6-6 (0-4) unfinished
3. Scotty/Mora (UNC) def. Ansari/Chen (AU), 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 1
Singles
1. #2 Cameron Morra (UNC) vs. #79 Taylor Russo (AU), 7-5, 1-3 unfinished
2. #4 Sara Daavettila (UNC) def. #123 Yu Chen (AU), 6-0, 6-3
3. #8 Alexa Graham (UNC) def. Selin Ovunc (AU), 6-4, 6-1
4. #36 Alle Sanford (UNC) vs. Georgie Axon (AU), 6-1, 4-4 unfinished
5. Makenna Jones (UNC) vs. Carolyn Ansari (AU), 7-6, 1-0 unfinished
6. Elizabeth Scotty (UNC) def. Madeline Meredith (AU), 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: 2, 6, 3