Feb. 22, 2008

TarHeelBlue.com recently met with junior tennis player Laura Reichert. Reichert, a native of Oakton, Va., won the deciding match versus then-No. 8 USC for the Tar Heels as they advanced to the semifinals at the ITA Indoor Nationals last week in Madison, Wis.

The Tar Heels are currently ranked No. 5 in the country and are 6-3 on the season. They will face No. 2 Northwestern and No. 15 Notre Dame this weekend.

THB.com: The team has been doing an outstanding job so far this season. What can you attribute your success to?
Reichert: Lately, we have been really coming together as a team. I guess at this last match against Florida we really didn't have a lot of energy, but really as a whole we have had a lot of energy during practice and in matches.

THB.com: What has the team taken from beating the No. 2 UCLA Bruins and No. 8 USC Trojans at the ITA Indoor Nationals?
Reichert: Beating the No. 2 and No. 8 teams in the country definitely shows that we can play with those teams. It gives us a lot of confidence. It allows us to believe in ourselves. Coach has been stressing to us to believe in ourselves and to know that we can beat the top teams. The team is starting to believe in ourselves.

THB.com: For such a young team, there seems to be a lot of leadership. Where does it come from?
Reichert: Well, we have one senior on the team, Alex Jurewitz, who has been a great leader and then we have 5 juniors that have really come together and helped Alex with everything and anything.

THB.com: The team had an impressive showing at the ITA Indoor Nationals. How was the experience?
Reichert: That tournament was a long tournament. You play on three courts and the matches are really long. They take the entire day. But we had all been there before and we were prepared for how it was going to be. We were successful in winning against USC and UCLA because we were all willing to go the extra mile against those teams. It was a great few days for us.

THB.com: How did it feel during your singles opponent versus USC when you found out your match was going to decide the victory?
Reichert: It was nerve-wracking. I had a tie-breaker in the second set and lost it. Then I found out at the beginning of the third set that it was the deciding match. I was nervous, but I just tried to stay focused and it was a good win.

THB.com: In the match versus Florida, you fell in the first set 6-1, but stormed back to force a third set tiebreak. Where did you find that fight to come back and win the second set?
Reichert: For me, the preparation I put in through practice--feeling prepared has helped me in the matches to have the confidence to get through and win those matches. After the first set, I just had to start it over in my mind. I had to start over and change the way I played with her a little bit. I was trying to out hit her and it wasn't working so I changed it up. But, feeling prepared and being competitive helps me.

THB.com: The team looks to avenge its 4-0 loss to Northwestern on Friday when they come to Chapel Hill. How does the team feel going into this match?
Reichert: I think we have the potential to do really well and we're all working really hard. If anything, losing to Northwestern has given us more motivation and energy. Playing them at home will give us more confidence. We're ready. We're ready to play them.

The No. 5 Tar Heels will look to avenge their ITA Indoor National Quarterfinal defeat to No. 2 Northwestern, Friday, as the Wildcats visit Chapel Hill. The match will begin at 4 p.m. at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.