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General - The three-time letterman and three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection is back in action for the Tar Heels after taking a medical redshirt to recover from a shoulder injury … Expected to play #1 singles and #1 doubles for Carolina … Ranked #80 in the ITA preseason singles rankings … Did not compete in the fall. Last season - Was red-shirted because of a shoulder injury … Selected co-captain of the 1999 team in a vote of his teammates … Was ranked #42 in collegiate singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in the fall 1998 preseason ratings … Is undefeated in outdoor dual matches in his career at UNC's Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center … Recipient of the 1999 athletic director's scholar-athlete award. As a Junior - Finished the season with a #67 singles ranking overall from the ITA … Started the spring season ranked #97 and improved 30 spots during the course of the season … Ranked eighth in singles in Region II at the end of the season … Earned a singles invitation to the 1998 NCAA Championships, falling in a first-round match … An All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection … In doubles, posted a season record of 17-8 … Very versatile doubles player, who was paired with six different partners during the 1997-98 season … Played with Eric Saunders (6-4), David Cheatwood (3-1), Gregg Hill (2-1), Michael Grass (2-0), Tony Thomas (2-1) and Adam Seri (2-1) … Posted a winning record with all six doubles partners … Went 17-11 overall in singles, including tournament and dual-match play … At #1 singles he went 8-4 … Also played seven matches at #2 singles (5-2) and one at #3 (1-0) … In ACC play, he dropped only two matches to post a 9-2 record … Lost only five matches in the Southeast Region, posting a 12-5 record … Had a seven-match winning streak before losing to Duke's Doug Root … Played 15 nationally ranked players in singles, defeating six of them … Battled a shoulder injury in the fall … Reached the quarterfinals of the Rolex Regionals … Defeated Ted Rueger and Dmitry Muzyka of Duke in that tournament. As a Sophomore - The Tar Heels' top player in 1997 … Was the only Tar Heel to receive an at-large singles bid for the NCAA Tournament … Finished the season just shy of 30 wins in singles, with a 29-10 record … Reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Virginia Commonwealth's Olivier Tauma, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 … Defeated Alabama's Francisco Rodriguez in the first round, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 … Named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Team … Was the ACC No. 1 singles runner-up, finishing the conference season with a 5-3 mark … Defeated top singles players from Florida (Justin O'Neal), Duke (Doug Root), Clemson's ACC Player-of-the-Year Mitch Sprengelmeyer and Jakub Pietrowski of Notre Dame … Took the Carolina Classic title in October, winning four matches, including contests with two of Notre Dame's top players and UNC teammate Paul Harsanyi … Won seven matches in the Rolex Region II Indoor Qualifiers before falling in the final match to Georgia Tech's B.J. Traub, 6-3, 6-3 … Reached the championship match of the ACC Indoors, losing to Duke's Alberto Brause, 6-4, 6-3. As a Freshman - Had a superb rookie season, amassing a 24-10 overall mark … Finished 7-1 in regular season ACC singles … Won the #2 flight doubles championship with Tony Thomas … Only ACC loss was to Sven Kohler of Duke in a three-set bout … Showed incredible potential … Three out of the five spring season losses were versus ranked players … Had an impressive win in the ACC tournament over veteran Duke player Peter Ayers … It was the only singles win for Carolina in that match … Struggled in the fall, posting a 6-5 mark … Won two rounds at the Tar Heel Invitational and the Rolex Region II Main Draw … Found good doubles chemistry with Tony Thomas … Advanced to the finals of the Tar Heel Invitational in flight A where the duo defeated Drafft/Toleafoa of Virginia Tech … Fell in the blue flight championship of the Carolina Classic … Lost in the quarterfinals of the Rolex II after winning a bout with Malik/Odic of Coastal Carolina … The doubles duo went 26-8 overall. Prep - A four-time state singles champion while at Charlotte Country Day … Also captured three state doubles titles … A three-time team Most Valuable Player … Ranked as high as seventh in the nation … Team captain for three years … Runner-up, best helmsman in the Queen City Sailing Association in 1994 … One of three people to represent the United States in the World Youth Cup in New Zealand … Was a member of the basketball team at Country Day as well … Four-time winner of the Hustle Award on the basketball team … Also played one year of football and one year of soccer at Country Day … Honor roll student … Named to the list of Who's Who Among American High School Students in 1994 … President of Young Republicans and Vice President of the Outdoors Club. Personal - Owen Thomas Phillips III is the son of O.T. and Brenda Phillips … Born August 26, 1977 … His father played wide receiver for the Washington Redskins from 1970-72 … Has one sister … Plays basketball in his spare time … Greatest sports thrill was representing the U.S. in the World Youth Cup … An exercise/sport science major, plans to pursue a career in physical therapy. |
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