March 15, 2001

Tampa, Fla. ----- No. 16 North Carolina, playing its second match in three days, defeated No. 49 South Florida, 6-1 in women's tennis action on Thursday. The Tar Heels won all three doubles matches and won five of the six singles matches, dropping just one set overall.

"We played very well today under the conditions," said UNC Head Coach Roland Thornqvist. "It was very windy and it was only our second match outdoors. Our team handled the weather very well. A match like today is about more than just hitting tennis balls. It's about being tough and being strong. We were both tougher and stronger than South Florida today."

North Carolina improved to 9-2 overall and South Florida dropped to 3-8.

Carolina swept the doubles competition, earning a single point in the match, and then went on to win the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 6 singles matches to capture the win. UNC's Julie Rotondi clinched the match at the No. 2 singles, 6-1, 7-6. Rotondi won the second-set tiebreaker, 7-3. South Florida's only point came when UNC's Marlene Mejia retired with a pulled muscle.

Carolina plays the first of three consecutive home matches beginning March 21 vs. Tennessee at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

SINGLES
#1      Tina Harrison (USF) def. Marlene Mejia (UNC) 4-2, retired
#2      Julie Rotondi (UNC) def. Jennifer Sinclair (USF) 6-1, 7-6 (3)
#3      Kate Pinchbeck (UNC) def. Genevieve Houle (USF) 6-1, 6-3
#4      Kendrick Bunn (UNC)  def. Natalie Schwartz (USF) 7-6, 5-7, 6-2
#5      Elina Bairos (UNC) def. Ashlee Callahan (USF) 6-3, 7-6 (5)
#6      Kristin Koenig (UNC) def. Ildiko Zubor (USF) 6-1, 6-3

DOUBLES (Single Team Point Awarded For Best 2 of 3)
#1      Mejia-Rotondi (UNC) def. Harrison-Sinclair (USF) 8-2
#2      Pinchbeck-Bunn (UNC) def. Houle-Claudi Nieto (USF) 8-6
#3      Erin Niebling-Courtney Zalinski (UNC) def. Schwartz-Callahan (USF) 8-2