CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Elon University women's tennis team won a pair of singles contests in its first match of the spring season but fell 5-2 against No. 2 North Carolina in a tight encounter.
"This was a great way to start off our spring season," head coach
Elizabeth Anderson said. "It was a tremendous effort against a great North Carolina team. We had a lot of competitive matches. I'm proud of Julie and Olivia for winning their singles matches and Sibel for winning the first set against the top ranked singles player in the country."
HIGHLIGHTS
- Sibel Tanik battled to win the opening set of her match 7-5 against North Carolina's Fiona Crawley, who is currently the No. 1 ranked player in the ITA singles rankings. Up 6-5 in the set, Tanik trailed 15-40 in the 12th game but won the next three points to secure a first set victory. Crawley forced a third set with a 6-3 win in the second and won the match with a 10-5 victory in a deciding tiebreaker.
- Julie Ball earned Elon's first singles victory of the spring season with a 6-1, 6-1 against North Carolina's Lindsay Zink. Ball's match was the second singles contest to finish and trimmed North Carolina's lead to 2-1.
- In the final match to finish, Olivia Archer and North Carolina's Sara McClure split the first two sets on court six before Archer won a back-and-forth final frame 6-4. Archer broke McClure's serve to go ahead 5-4 and served out the final game to secure her 56th career singles victory at Elon.
- In her first dual singles match with the Phoenix, freshman Madison Cordisco played a tight second set against the No. 8 ranked player in the ITA rankings, falling 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 2 spot.
- North Carolina took the doubles point with wins in the No. 1 and 2 positions.
UP NEXT
Elon will travel to face Campbell in its second of four straight road matches to begin the season on Jan. 20 at 1 p.m.
RESULTS
Singles
1. #1 Fiona Crawley (UNC) def.
Sibel Tanik (Elon) 5-7, 6-3, 10-5
2. #8 Carson Tanguilig (UNC) def.
Madison Cordisco (Elon) 6-2, 6-4
3. #5 Abbey Forbes (UNC) def.
Lizette Reding (Elon) 6-3, 6-1
4. #58 Elizabeth Scotty (UNC) def.
Helen Sarikulaya (Elon) 6-0, 6-0
5.
Julie Ball (Elon) def. Lindsay Zink (UNC) 6-1, 6-1
6.
Olivia Archer (Elon) def. Sara McClure (UNC) 6-2, 1-6, 6-4
Doubles
1. #1 Fiona Crawley/Carson Tanguilig (UNC) def.
Sibel Tanik/
Lizette Reding (Elon) 6-3
2. Abbey Forbes/Elizabeth Scotty (UNC) def.
Olivia Archer/
Julie Ball (Elon) 6-2
3. Sophia Patel/Lindsay Zink (UNC) vs.
Madison Cordisco/
Helen Sarikulaya (Elon) 4-3, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (4,5,3,2,1,6)
--ELON--
