The No. 7 Virginia women’s tennis team came into Sunday’s ACC Championship final with confidence, propelled by momentum from a strong semifinal win over No. 4 Duke and having already beaten No. 8 North Carolina twice this season. But in the biggest match of the year so far, the fourth-seeded Cavaliers (20-5, 10-2 ACC) could not replicate that magic, falling 4-0 to the second-seeded Tar Heels (23-4, 11-1 ACC) in a rematch of last year’s final at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, N.C.
Virginia looked to strike first in doubles, where it has been consistently dominant all season, but North Carolina came out sharp and aggressive. The Tar Heel pair of junior Reese Brantmeier and freshman Alanis Hamilton overwhelmed the nation’s No. 1-ranked duo of seniors Elaine Chervinsky and Melodie Collard 6-1 at Line 1. The Virginia pair could not do enough to combat its opponent’s aggression and power in just one set.
Despite a hard-fought effort from junior Annabelle Xu and freshman Martina Genis Salas — who stormed back from a 5-0 deficit to lead 6-5 before their match was abandoned — the Cavaliers dropped the point after a 6-3 loss at Line 3. It was just the second time all season Virginia had lost the doubles point in back-to-back matches.
Down 1-0, the Cavaliers still had every reason to believe they could fight their way back in singles — especially after claiming first sets at Lines 2, 3 and 4. However, North Carolina’s depth and experience showed at other lines.
The Tar Heels struck quickly with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Collard at Line 6 then extended their lead to 3-0 after senior Carson Tanguilig defeated freshman Isabelle Lacy in straight sets at Line 5. Although Chervinsky, Xu and Genis Salas all positioned themselves well early — each taking their opening sets — Virginia could not turn the tide in time. Each of these matches were left unfinished.
Moments after North Carolina added its third point, Brantmeier clinched the title for the Tar Heels with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory over No. 20 Ziodato at Line 1. It was only Ziodato’s fourth dual-match loss of the season and a rare straight-sets defeat for the veteran, who had been a steady force throughout the tournament, as well as the rest of the dual match season.
Whether it was fatigue, nerves or a lack of preparedness, the Cavaliers could not match the aggression and dominance the Tar Heels brought to both the doubles and singles matches. The points were quick, with the match lasting less than two hours, and Virginia failed to gain momentum at any time.
While the loss stung, Virginia Coach Sara O’Leary praised her team’s resilience and reiterated the importance of learning from the experience.
“Congrats to UNC. I thought that they played really well,” O’Leary said. “There’s a lot that we can learn from this match, and if we take it in the right way… it’s only going to help us in the future.”
The Cavaliers will turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament, set to begin in two weeks. With a 20-5 record, two regular-season wins over North Carolina and top-tier talent up and down the lineup, Virginia remains poised for a deep postseason run.
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