Jessica Zaganczyk sweeps singles and doubles.

March 6, 1999

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Junior Jessica Zaganczyk came through in a big way for the 53rd-ranked North Carolina women's tennis team on Saturday as the Tar Heels outlasted 62nd-ranked Illinois 5-4 in a match played at the Atkins Tennis Center on the U of I campus in Champaign-Urbana.

Zaganczyk won her singles match impressively and then she combined with junior teammate Cena Hackler to clinch the match for Carolina with a 9-7 win at #1 doubles over the Fighting Illini's Simone Kung and Brooke Ferney.

The Tar Heels have now played four successive matches against nationally-ranked teams that have been decided by 5-4 scores. UNC has gone 2-2 in those matches.

"It was a great college match and once again I think it was our heart which ended up making the difference in the match at the end," said North Carolina head coach Roland Thornqvist, in his first year as the head mentor of the Tar Heel program. "Every match went down to the wire and we outfought them. It is a trubute to the girls and the hard work they have been putting in this year. It is really making the difference in the close matches."

UNC earned three singles wins on Saturday with Zaganczyk winning at #1 singles over Kung and sophomore Courtney Zalinski winning at #5 and junior Jeni Burnette triumphing at #6.

Carolina then won at both #1 and #2 doubles, losing at #3 doubles in a tiebreaker. UNC improved to 4-2 on the season with the win over the Fighting Illini. That is only one victory short of Carolina's entire win total for the 1998 when it finished 5-17. With the loss, the Fighting Illini fell to 3-6 on the season.

North Carolina will play 37th-ranked Indiana on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. in Bloomington, Ind. as it continues it spring break trip. Later in the week the Tar Heels will play at Rice and Houston.

FINAL SCORE: #53 NORTH CAROLINA 5, #62 ILLINOIS 4

Singles Play
1. #83 Jessica Zaganczyk (UNC) d. #92 Simone Kung (UI), 6-4, 6-3
2. Stacy Schapiro (UI) d. Sarah Hawkins (UNC), 7-6, 7-5
3. Brooke Ferney (UI) d. Caroline Hill (UNC), 6-2, 6-1
4. Natalia Manasovs (UI) d. Kristin Koenig (UNC), 7-6, 7-5
5. Courtney Zalinski (UNC) d. Megan Wise (UI), 6-1, 6-2

6. Jeni Burnette (UNC) d. Allison Gottlieb (UI), 6-2, 6-1

Doubles Play
1. Cena Hackler/Jessica Zaganczyk (UNC) d. Simone Kung-Brooke Ferney (UI), 9-7*
2. Caroline Hill/Courtney Zalinski (UNC) d. Megan Wise/Natalia Manasova (UI), 8-3

3. Stacy Schapiro/Allison Gottlieb (UI) d. Sarah Hawkins/Jeni Burnette (UNC), 9-8 (8-6)

*Denotes Clinching Win