April 22, 2005

CARY, N.C. - In a match that took just a little over two hours, the 13th-ranked North Carolina women's tennis team advanced to the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Tennis Championships after defeating No. 37 Maryland 4-0 Friday afternoon at the Cary Tennis Center. Carolina will take on Georgia Tech, the tournament's one seed, Saturday at 10 a.m.

With the win, UNC improved to 20-8 while Maryland fell to 11-11. UNC is the fourth seed in the tournament after finishing the regular season with a 7-3 conference record. Maryland, who went 5-5 in the ACC, was the five seed.

In Friday's first quarterfinal match, Georgia Tech beat Florida State, the eight seed, 4-1 to advance to the semifinals.

Carolina came out strong in doubles, winning first at No. 3 and clinching at No. 1. Caitlin Collins and Tanja Markovic moved to 5-3 on the season as they cruised 8-0 over the Terrapins' Julia Graca and Veronika Subertova at No. 3. Seniors Kendall Cline and Aniela Mojzis, the nation's seventh-ranked doubles team, clinched the doubles point for the Tar Heels with their 8-3 win at No. 1 over Ramona But and Marianne Baker.

In singles, Collins was the first to win despite being down 1-4 in the first set at No. 5. She came back to win in straight sets, defeating Subertova 6-4, 6-1. Collins is 18-16 overall.

Sophomore Sara Anundsen garnered UNC's third point of the day with her 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 4 over the Terps' Neda Mihneva. Anundsen moves to 17-6 in dual-match play and 25-10 on the season.

At the No. 3 spot, sophomore Jenna Long clinched the match with her 6-2, 6-3 win over Jennifer Dent. Long is now 23-5 in dual-match play and 35-7 overall for the 2004-05 season.

In their last meeting, the Tar Heels swept Maryland 7-0 on April 10 in Chapel Hill.

On Saturday, Carolina will have to face sixth-ranked Georgia Tech, a team it just met on April 17 in Atlanta, Ga. In that contest, the Yellow Jackets came away with th 5-2 victory. Cline and Markovic captured the Tar Heels' two points of that match.

2005 ACC Women's Tennis Championship
Quarterfinal Round - 4 seed North Carolina (#13) vs. 5 seed Maryland (#37)
Final Score: North Carolina 4, Maryland 0
Doubles:
1. #7 Aniela Mojzis / Kendall Cline (UNC) def. Ramona But/Marianne Baker (MD), 8-3
2. Tamar Huppes/Neda Mihneva (MD) led. #34 Sara Anundsen / Jenna Long (UNC), 6-5
3. Caitlin Collins / Tanja Markovic (UNC) def. Julia Graca/Veronika Subertova (MD), 8-0
Order of finish: 3, 1

Singles:
1. #32 Aniela Mojzis (UNC) tied Ramona But (MD), 6-3 (MD), 3-6 (NC)
2. #25 Kendall Cline (UNC) led Marianne Baker (MD), 6-4, 5-1
3. Jenna Long (UNC) def. Jennifer Dent (MD), 6-2, 6-3*
4. Sara Anundsen (UNC) def. Neda Mihneva (MD), 6-2, 6-1
5. Caitlin Collins (UNC) def. Veronika Subertova (MD), 6-4, 6-1
6. Charlotte Tansill (UNC) led. Julia Graca (MD), 6-3, 1-1
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3
* Clinched the match