Friday, February 26
Chapel Hill, NC
3:00 p.m.
University of Louisville
at
North Carolina
Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics
Louisville Set to Face No.1 North Carolina and No.11 Duke
February 25, 2021 | Women's Tennis
No. 1 North Carolina and No. 11 Duke are on tap for the weekend.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.- Following an undefeated homestand, the University of Louisville women's tennis team hits the road to face a pair of ranked opponents this weekend. The Cardinals (5-2, 2-0 ACC) travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to face No.1 North Carolina on Friday, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m., before making the short trip up to Durham to battle No. 11 Duke on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m.
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Last weekend, Louisville tallied wins over Syracuse and Boston College. On Friday, the Cardinals defeated Syracuse 4-3 after redshirt junior Rhea Verma won two straight sets with the match hanging in the balance. After clinching the doubles point and splitting the first four singles courts, sophomore Andrea Di Palma responded to an early first set loss to take the final two frames and secure the 5-2 match win over Boston College.
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The Cardinals have thrived at claiming the critical 1-0 lead in dual matches, taking the doubles point in each of their seven matches this season. Head coach Mark Beckham has utilized six different doubles combinations, led by an unblemished 7-0 record from Raven Neely and Tatiana Simova at No.2.
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Friday's opponent, North Carolina, presents the Cardinals with its toughest challenge of the season. The Tar Heels (10-0, 1-0 ACC) maintained their top spot in the latest Top 25 Oracle ITA Rankings, setting a new program record with its 28th straight dual match win after defeating No. 14 Virginia, 5-2, last Sunday. Head coach Brian Kalbas' team boasts seven players ranked in the top 125, including three in the top 10. Four Tar Heels come into Friday's match undefeated in singles, paced by a 10-0 start from No.120 ranked freshman Fiona Crawley.
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Duke (6-1, 1-0 ACC) has posted another solid start to the season, shutting out four opponents in the opening weeks. Formidable in Durham, the Blue Devils are currently riding an ACC-best 50 match home winning streak. Similar to their cross-town rival, Duke rosters six players ranked inside the top 125, including four in the top 50. Sophomore Chloe Beck enters this weekend with a 6-1 record, featuring wins at three different positions, while three-time ITA All-America senior Kelly Chen sits at 4-2.Â
Recaps of both matches will be available on GoCards.com following the conclusion of competition.
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Last weekend, Louisville tallied wins over Syracuse and Boston College. On Friday, the Cardinals defeated Syracuse 4-3 after redshirt junior Rhea Verma won two straight sets with the match hanging in the balance. After clinching the doubles point and splitting the first four singles courts, sophomore Andrea Di Palma responded to an early first set loss to take the final two frames and secure the 5-2 match win over Boston College.
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The Cardinals have thrived at claiming the critical 1-0 lead in dual matches, taking the doubles point in each of their seven matches this season. Head coach Mark Beckham has utilized six different doubles combinations, led by an unblemished 7-0 record from Raven Neely and Tatiana Simova at No.2.
Â
Friday's opponent, North Carolina, presents the Cardinals with its toughest challenge of the season. The Tar Heels (10-0, 1-0 ACC) maintained their top spot in the latest Top 25 Oracle ITA Rankings, setting a new program record with its 28th straight dual match win after defeating No. 14 Virginia, 5-2, last Sunday. Head coach Brian Kalbas' team boasts seven players ranked in the top 125, including three in the top 10. Four Tar Heels come into Friday's match undefeated in singles, paced by a 10-0 start from No.120 ranked freshman Fiona Crawley.
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Duke (6-1, 1-0 ACC) has posted another solid start to the season, shutting out four opponents in the opening weeks. Formidable in Durham, the Blue Devils are currently riding an ACC-best 50 match home winning streak. Similar to their cross-town rival, Duke rosters six players ranked inside the top 125, including four in the top 50. Sophomore Chloe Beck enters this weekend with a 6-1 record, featuring wins at three different positions, while three-time ITA All-America senior Kelly Chen sits at 4-2.Â
Recaps of both matches will be available on GoCards.com following the conclusion of competition.
Players Mentioned
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