The No. 35 University of Miami women’s tennis team lost a close one to the No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels 4-3 on Friday afternoon at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
In a high profile contest between two top programs, a total of five different ranked singles players lost their matches.
To start off the day, the Tar Heels (22-2, 10-1 ACC) won two out of three over the Hurricanes (13-5, 8-3 ACC) to take care of the doubles point.
Canes duo Raquel Gonzalez and Sebastianna Scilipoti had the opening loss with No. 5 Reese Brantmeier and Alanis Hamilton sweeping them, 6-0. UNC then secured the doubles point when Oby Kajuru and Maddy Zampardo bested Jaquelyn Ogunwale and Sofia Rocchetti, 6-4.
Despite already losing the point, the Hurricanes managed to win the final match with Dominika Podhajecka and Daria Volosova defeating Tatum Evans and Anna Frey, 6-3.
Singles play was split between the two squads, with no side claiming victory until the final match.
On court one, No. 2 Brantmeier bested No. 36 Gonzalez 6-2, 6-3 while No. 105 Sofia Rocchetti earned her highest ranked win, defeating No. 11 Kajuru in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Scilipoti took down No. 93 Hamilton, 6-4, 6-2 but Zampardo turned it around versus No. 116 Podhajecka, winning 2-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Similar to Rocchetti, Ogunwale earned her highest ranked win, defeating No. 31 Evans, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) but not before UNC’s Theadora Rabman won the clinching match over Volosova, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.