National Champions! Tar Heels Down Wolfpack, 4-1, for NCAA Women’s Tennis Champ

Box Score ORLANDO, FLA.The North Carolina women’s tennis team won its first NCAA championship on Saturday as the Tar Heels defeated NC State 4-1 in a classic final between two familiar rivals on the USTA campus.

Three consecutive singles wins Fiona Crawley, Carson Tanguilig and Elizabeth Scotty’s provided the margin of victory after UNC had won a doubleheader to start the day and the Wolfpack tied the score at 1-1.

The Tar Heels, who have won the last four ITA Indoor Team National Championships, captured their first outdoor title and cemented their place as perhaps the best women’s tennis program in the country.

It was the third meeting of the season between the Tar Heels and the Wolfpack. UNC beat NCSU 7-0 during the regular season in Chapel Hill, but saw NC Statehand Carolina’s only loss of the season before Saturday. He beat the Tar Heels 4-1 in the ACC Championship game in late April.

UNC made its first appearance in the NCAA championship game since 2014.

The Tar Heels won doubles point and took an early 1-0 lead. Despite losing at No. 1 doubles, Scotty andTanguilig beat NCSU’s Nell Miller and Amelia Rajecki, 6-1, at No. 2, while Reese Brantmeier and Reilly Tran defeated Sophie Abrams and Abigail Renchel, 6-4, at No. 3.

NC State won three quick first sets in singles and seemed to seize the momentum in the match. In the first singles final, Diana Shnaider tied the score at 1-1 for the Wolfpack and won 6-3, 6-4 with win 1. Reese Brantmeier.

Later, Crawley took a clutch, tiebreak victory in the second set to beat Alana Smith 6-2, 7-6 at No. 2 to give Carolina a 2-1 lead again. Tanguilig and Scotty posted quick wins in back-to-back No. 3 and No. 4 to claim the National Championship.

Tonight marks the 49th NCAA Championship for the Tar Heels and the 36th for the North Carolina women’s team. UNC field hockey and women’s tennis won NCAA championships this season, marking the 12th time multiple UNC teams have won NCAA championships in an academic year.

The head coach Brian Kalbas becomes the 14th person to win an NCAA title as a head coach at Carolina.

#GoHeels x #GDTBATH pic.twitter.com/4bAhAGFTTZ

Carolina Women’s Tennis (@UNC_wtennis) May 21, 2023