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Women’s Sweet 16: North Carolina, Stanford, Ohio State, and Texas Tech Advance to the Quarterfinals

by | May 19, 2017 | Blog

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The second day of the NCAA Championships is half way over with the higher seeds winning in each of the first four matches. In the morning session, No. 2 seed North Carolina shutout out ACC rival Duke 4-0 on the main Henry Feild Courts while defending champion and No. 7 seed Stanford held off a late charge to defeat No. 10 Michigan 4-1. The two noon matches saw both of the SEC schools go down as Ohio State won fairly comfortably over South Carolina while Texas Tech came back from losing the doubles point to defeat Auburn 4-2. 

North Carolina defeated Duke for the second time this season and it started with a dominating performance in doubles. North Carolina’s Sara Daavettila and Makenna Jones cruised to a 6-1 win at No. 3 while Jessie Aney and Hayley Carter won 6-2 at No. 1. North Carolina was also up 5-3 on 2 in a match that went unfinished. 

In singles play, North Carolina was in total control up top while Duke squeezed out sets down low. Hayley Carter won 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1 and both Sara Daavettila and Jessie Aney had match points just 15 minutes later. Daavettila had a pair of match points when serving up 6-2, 5-0 but she double faulted twice to get broke. She bounced right back in the next game and broke Meible Chi to close it out 6-2, 6-1. Second later Jessie Aney would clinch at No. 3 with a love hold to take the match 6-4, 6-4. 

 

 

#4 NORTH CAROLINA (33-2) 4, #15 DUKE (22-6) 0
Head Coaches: Brian Kalbas (North Carolina) and Jamie Ashworth (Duke)
Doubles Results
1. #4 Jessie Aney/Hayley Carter (NORTH CAROLINA) def. #42 Kaitlyn McCarthy/Meible Chi (DUKE), 6-2
2. Cassandra Vazquez/Alexa Graham (NORTH CAROLIINA) vs. Alyssa Smith/Chalena Scholl (DUKE), 5-3, uf
3. Sara Daavettila/Makenna Jones (NORTH CAROLINA) def. Samantha Harris/ Ellyse Hamlin (DUKE), 6-1
Singles Results
1. #2 Hayley Carter (NORTH CAROLINA) def. #80 Samantha Harris (DUKE), 6-0, 6-3
2. #18 Sara Daavettila (NORTH CAROLINA) def. #43 Mebile Chi (DUKE), 6-2, 6-1
3. #35 Jessie Aney (NORTH CAROLINA) def. #55 Chalena Scholl (DUKE), 6-4, 6-4
4. #99 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DUKE) vs. #74 Alexa Graham (NORTH CAROLINA), 7-5, 4-1, uf
5. Alyssa Smith (DUKE) vs. #100 Makenna Jones (NORTH CAROLINA), 6-4, 2-3, uf
6. Ellyse Hamlin (DUKE) vs.Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (NORTH CAROLINA), 7-6, 2-2, uf
Doubles (3,1,2) Singles (1,2,3)

NORTH CAROLINA HEAD COACH BRIAN KALBAS
On advancing to the quarterfinals…“I’m really proud of our team. That’s probably the best doubles we’ve played in a while. Doubles point was key, they beat us pretty handily the first time so for us to get the doubles point got us off to a good start. The top three spots did a great job of getting the first sets and closing it out in the second. Duke was battling and they played well so you have to give them credit, they were prepared and didn’t give up. We know when you’re playing a rival like this there are no mysteries, you know each other real well so it’s about executing your game-plan and we did that today.”

JESSIE ANEY
On clinching the match…“There’s nothing better, I have no words. This is probably the best feeling of my life to clinch against Duke, and to be a part of the rivalry is an honor. Getting the win is even better and to clinch is something I never thought I would get to do.”

DUKE HEAD COACH JAMIE ASHWORTH
On today’s match…“We’re better off than we were a year ago, where we are right now looking into next year. And I thought that we did a good job of getting here, no way we were satis ed with getting here, but I think we have a bright future to keep building on. The biggest thing, I thought, is that we started this season with a bunch of individuals and right now it’s a true family. They really did a good job playing for each other. The toughest thing is to see that end, knowing how much they put in for each other, and how close this team is.”

 

 

Stanford had to rise and shine early for a match that was played at 6 a.m. pacific time but the Cardinal looked wide awake after hammering Michigan in doubles. Stanford only dropped one game combined between No. 1 and No. 3 while the match at No. 2 went unfinished. 

Each team won three first sets in singles but only one would finish in straight sets with that being Stanford’s Emma Higuchi who rolled over Valeria Patiuk 6-2, 6-0 at No. 6. 

Stanford’s Taylor Davidson made it 3-0 with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win over Alex Najarian at No. 3 but Michigan’s Kate Fahey narrowed the gap after a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 win over Caroline Doyle at No. 1.

Stanford freshman Emily Arbuthnott had a break lead in the third set but Michigan’s Mira Ruder-Hook broke to tie it at 4-4. Arbuthnott broke back and then she served it out from 40/15 to take it 3-6, 6-0, 6-4.

 

 

The other two matches were abandoned with Stanford’s Melissa Lord serving up 4-3 in the third at No. 2 while Michigan’s Chiara Lommer was up a set and in a second set tiebreak at No. 4. 

#6 STANFORD (24-2) 4, #10 MICHIGAN (23-6) 1
Head Coaches: Lele Forood (Stanford) and Ronni Bernstein (Michigan)
Doubles Results
1. #39 Emily Arbuthnott/Taylor Davidson (STANFORD) def. #9 Kate Fahey/Alex Najarian (MICHIGAN), 6-1
2. Chiara Lommer/Brienne Minor (MICHIGAN) vs. #46 Caroline Doyle/Melissa Lord (STANFORD), 3-2, uf
3. Emma Higuchi/Caroline Lampl (STANFORD) def. Mira Ruder-Hook/Valeria Patiuk (MICHIGAN), 6-0
Singles Results
1. #26 Kate Fahey (MICHIGAN) def. #38 Caroline Doyle (STANFORD), 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
2. #28 Melissa Lord (STANFORD) vs. #24 Brienne Minor (MICHIGAN), 6-4, 5-7, *4-3, uf
3. #54 Taylor Davidson (STANFORD) def. Alex Najarian (MICHIGAN), 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
4. Chiara Lommer (MICHIGAN) vs. #90 Caroline Lampl (STANFORD), 7-5, 6-6, uf
5. Emily Arbuthnott (STANFORD) def. Mira Ruder-Hook (MICHIGAN), 3-6, 6-0, 6-4
6. #71 Emma Higuchi (STANFORD) def. Valeria Patiuk (MICHIGAN), 6-0, 6-2
Doubles (3,1) Singles (6,3,1,5)

STANFORD HEAD COACH LELE FOROOD
On advancing to the quarterfinals…“Michigan is a tough team. We had a very close match with them last year and it was pretty tight again. We had our chances, we couldn’t close out some things when we were up and the match got closer, but great job, especially by Emily Arbuthnott to nail down that third set. In a way, we are tuned into the tournament now, in some ways things are easier, but the teams get tougher. We will bring it on Sunday and see how we do.”

EMILY ARBUTHNOTT
On clinching the match…“It feels pretty good, to be honest. I have been lucky to clinch quite a few matches this season, but to do so in the Round of 16 is pretty exciting and I am just ready to move to the next round.”

MICHIGAN HEAD COACH RONNI BERNSTEIN
On today’s match…“I’m proud of the girls. We played a really poor doubles point and just weren’t ready to go at a couple swats, but we really stepped up in singles and gave us a chance at least. I feel like we fought hard and put ourselves in position, but we came up short.”

 

 

Ohio State advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the second year in a row, and second time in school history, with a 4-1 win over No. 14 South Carolina.  Ohio State claimed the doubles point for the 28th time in 33 matches with a 6-1 win at No. 1 and a 6-3 win at No. 3. 

The Buckeyes added four first sets in singles though the last one at No. 6 came after three other matches had already finished. 

Ohio State’s Sandy Niehaus was off the court first with a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 5 and Francesca Di Lorenzo followed shortly thereafter with a routine 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 1. 

South Carolina’s Mia Horvit put the Gamecocks on the board with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 2 but Ohio State’s Miho Kowase pulled away from Silvai Chinellato to clinch the match with a 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 4. 

 

 

#2 OHIO STATE (31-2) 4, #14 SOUTH CAROLINA (20-9) 1
Head Coaches: Melissa Schaub (Ohio State) and Kevin Epley (South Carolina)
Doubles Results
1. #18 Francesca Di Lorenzo/Miho Kowase(OHIO STATE) def. #25 Hadley Berg/Paige Cline (SOUTH CAROLINA), 6-1
2. Brigit Folland/Ingrid Gamarra Martins (SOUTH CAROLINA) def. Sandy Niehaus/Anna Sanford (OHIO STATE), 6-3
3. Gabriella De Santis/Ferny Angeles Paz (OHIO STATE) def. Rachel Rohrabacher/Caroline Dailey (SOUTH CAROLINA), 6-3
Singles Results
1. #1 Francesca Di Lorenzo(OHIO STATE) def. #49 Ingrid Gamarra Martins (SOUTH CAROLINA), 6-1, 6-1
2. #47 Mia Horvit (SOUTH CAROLINA) def. #67 Anna Sanford (OHIO STATE), 6-3, 6-2
3. Paige Cline (SOUTH CAROLINA) vs. #95 Gabriella De Santis(OHIO STATE)  6-3, 4-5, uf
4.#91 Miho Kowase (OHIO STATE) def. Silvia Chinellato (SOUTH CAROLINA), 7-5, 6-2
5.#112 Sandy Niehaus (OHIO STATE) def. Hadley Berg (SOUTH CAROLINA), 6-3, 6-0
6. Ferny Angeles Paz (OHIO STATE) vs. Brigit Folland (SOUTH CAROLINA), 7-6 (6), 1-0, uf
Doubles (1,2,3) Singles (5,1,2,4)

OHIO STATE HEAD COACH MELISSA SCHAUB
On advancing to the quarterfinals…“They are a really tough team, and we knew that going in. They are in a tough conference, the SEC. They were going to come in well prepared. They put a lot of confidence in their doubles, so we knew that was going to be big, be a big point that we needed. They came out, and could have played a little better maybe, so we are glad that we have another day to redeem ourselves there. This is big, two seniors on the court for the doubles point to finish it off, and I think we came off of a deuce point on it, and that’s good, but we fight, we compete hard in singles and I think is what it was all about.”

MIHO KOWASE
On today’s match…“It was tough. First set I was down straight five, but I knew I worked so hard for this the last four years. I knew I could come back, and I had faith in every single one of us. This year I think I was able to enjoy it, and enjoy the moment. Last year I was a bit nervous, and not losing, trying to not lose, but this year I am more excited than anything. So, happy to be here.”

SOUTH CAROLINA COACH KEVIN EPLEY
On today’s match…“I would say first of all, a big congratulations to Ohio State. Coming from the north, coming down to our conditions and our environment, it’s hot. This isn’t the kind of tennis they are used to playing. To be able to come out and establish that competitive spirit, to be able to come out and play doubles that strong and to have that kind of ball tolerance is a real credit to that team, that organization. As far as we go, they were just better on all those fronts. In big moments, they made their shots. We missed. We kind of backed off. We didn’t play with enough courage at times. I would say they had a better ball tolerance, which was a surprise. We were expecting to be able to make more balls than them and outlast them, and I think they were just a little more con dent down the stretch. I think when the moments got big we got wide eyed. It looked like a moment there that we had a chance and then some of us just kind of went into a shell and some of us just couldn’t get the ball in the court. That’s the difference.”

 

 

A few weeks ago Texas Tech won the Big 12 Championship for the first-time in school history and on Friday afternoon the Red Raiders added another first when they advanced to the Elite 8 for the first-time ever with a 4-2 win over Auburn. Auburn played from ahead for a good portion of the match and it started with the Tigers taking the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3. 

Texas Tech claimed four first sets in singles and Felicity Maltby quickly tied the match at 1-1 with a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 2. Auburn retook the lead when Alannah Griffin cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 5 but Texas Tech tied it at 2-2 after Sabrina Federici won 7-5, 6-0 at No. 4. 

Texas Tech’s Katelyn Jackson gave the Red Raiders its first lead of the day with a 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 6 and Gabriela Talaba came back from a set down to win 12 of the final 14 games to clinch the match with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 1.

 

 

The match at No. 3 went unfinished with Texas Tech’s Alex Valenstein up a break in the third. 

#7 TEXAS TECH (27-4) 4, #11 AUBURN (25-11) 2
Head Coaches: Todd Petty (Texas Tech) and Lauren Spencer (Auburn)
Doubles Results
1. #14 Alizee Michaud/Taylor Russo (AUBURN) def. #26 Sarah Dvorak/Sabrina Federici (TEXAS TECH), 6-3
2.#69 Felicity Maltby/Gabriela Talaba (TEXAS TECH) def. Andie Dikosavljevic/Alannah Griffin (AUBURN), 6-2
3.#64 Caroline Turner/Georgie Axon (AUBURN) def. Alex Valenstein/Alba Cortina-Pou (TEXAS TECH), 7-5
Singles Results
1. #9 Gabriela Talaba (TEXAS TECH) def. #17 Alizee Michaud (AUBURN), 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
2. #58 Felicity Maltby (TEXAS TECH) def. #29 Andie Dikosavljevic (AUBURN), 6-1, 6-0
3. Alex Valenstein (TEXAS TECH) vs. #115 Taylor Russo (AUBURN), 6-2, 4-6, 3-1, uf
4. Sabrina Federici (TEXAS TECH) def. Georgie Axon (AUBURN), 7-5, 6-0
5. Alannah Griffin (AUBURN) def. Sarah Dvorak (TEXAS TECH), 6-3, 6-2
6. Katelyn Jackson (TEXAS TECH) def. Caroline Turner (AUBURN), 7-5, 6-2
Doubles (2,1,3) Singles (2,5,4,6,1)

TEXAS TECH HEAD COACH TODD PETTY
On advancing to the quarterfinals…“This is the first time in school history we’ve made it to the quarterfinals so it’s a huge win and such a special moment for the girls who have been in this position for so long and finally make it over the hump. We played a really incredible Auburn team who beat us earlier in the year so it makes it a really special moment.”

GABRIELA TALABA
On today’s match…“It feels great to finally make it into the quarterfinals. We have been expecting it because we were preparing for this since January of last year when we ended our season. We did it! And we are so happy that we are here but we’re ready to do more.”

AUBURN HEAD COACH LAUREN SPENCER
On today’s match…“I thought we came out strong in the doubles. We had good energy from the very start. Alannah Grif n played amazing, she put us on the board pretty early. As I told the team before, we played Texas Tech earlier in the year and I think it basically came down to the fact that we are so similar on every court that it came down to whoever wanted it more. They were tougher today, they are a mentally tough team, and came out with key points here and there to put them on top. We put forth a good effort, but they were just better than us today.”