The University of Louisville women’s tennis team fell 6-1 to No. 1-ranked North Carolina Sunday afternoon at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.
The Cards are 13-8 and 3-7 in the ACC while UNC improves to 20-2 and 9-1 in the league.
“Obviously North Carolina is good, being ranked No. 1 in the country,” said UofL head coach Mark Beckham. “We gave them a little too much respect and we weren’t able to play the style we normally play. We let them get off to a good start and that makes it tough when you play a team like that. We had to try to dig out of a hole in doubles.”
UofL dropped the doubles point. UNC’s No. 2 doubles pair Makenna Jones and Sara Daavettila blanked Raven Neely and Maya Smith. The Cardinals won at No.2 when Mariana Humberg and Tiffany Huber joined forces to down Marika Akkerman and Chloe Ouellet-Pizer 6-1, 7-5. UNC’s No. 1-ranked pair of Jessie Aney and Alexa Graham defeated Aleksandra Mally and Ariana Rodriguez 6-2 at the first position to clinch the point.
“But in singles, we turned it around a bit, but still we must get over the hump of worrying about them being No. 1 in the country. We are playing well enough to have gotten more sets off them. I am not saying we should have won, but I am saying there were matches out there that we could have won.”
In singles, UNC struck first when Marikka Akkerman downed Ariana Rodriguez 6-2, 6-0 at No. 6. No. 30-ranked Sara Daavettila defeated Tiffany Huber 6-4, 6-0 at the No. 3 slot. The Tar Heels clinched the match at No. 5 when #117 ranked Chloe Ouellet-Pizer edged Maya Smith 6, 6-7-1, 7-5 at the No. 5 slot. UofL’s Aleksandra Mally took the first set 6-3 from No.14-ranked Makenna Jones, but fell 6-2 in the second and 10-5 in the tiebreaker.
UofL got its point from the No. 4 slot when Raven Neely upset No. 71-ranked Jessie Aney 7-5, 6-7 (5) and 11-9 at No. 4.
“I was happy for Raven. She was fighting herself,” said Beckham. “She had three match points at 6-5, then three match points in the tiebreaker in the second set and couldn’t win it. She finally got it in the match tiebreaker and came from behind to get it. Mentally, and development-wise, that will be a big boost for her. She is such a talented player, she just needed that affirmation to show herself that she can beat this kind of opponent.”
UofL hits the road next weekend with Clemson at noon on Friday and Wake Forest at noon on Sunday.
Tennis Match Results
North Carolina vs Louisville
Apr 08, 2018 at Louisville, Ky.
(Bass Rudd Tennis)
North Carolina 6, Louisville 1
Singles competition
1. #14 Makenna Jones (NC) def. Aleksandra Mally (LOU) 3-6, 6-2, 10-5
2. Alexa Graham (NC) def. Mariana Humberg (LOU) 6-4, 6-3
3. #30 Sara Daavettila (NC) def. Tiffany Huber (LOU) 6-4, 6-0
4. Raven Neely (LOU) def. #71 Jessie Aney (NC) 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 11-9
5. #117 Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (NC) def. Maya Smith (LOU) 6-1, 7-5
6. Marika Akkerman (NC) def. Ariana Rodriguez (LOU) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. #1 Jessie Aney/Alexa Graham (NC) def. Aleksandra Mally/Ariana Rodriguez (LOU) 6-2
2. Makenna Jones/Sara Daavettila (NC) def. Raven Neely/Maya Smith (LOU) 6-0
3. Mariana Humberg/Tiffany Huber (LOU) def. Marika Akkerman/Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (NC) 6-3
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,3,5,2,1,4)
