University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
#6 North Carolina
Vols Fall To Tar Heels In Second Round, 4-0
May 13, 2018 | Men's Tennis
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Tennessee men's tennis fell to seventh-seeded North Carolina on Sunday, 4-0, in the second round of the NCAA Championships at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.
After defeating UNCW in the round of 64 on Saturday, the No. 20 ranked Vols (21-9) could not find the same momentum against the No. 6 Tar Heels (24-5), who now advance to the final site of the NCAA Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Tennessee had an opportunity to claim the doubles point, as the Court 3 pairing of Andrew Rogers and Scott Jones picked up a dominant 6-1 win. Preston Touliatos and Luis Valero then fell to the No. 2 duo in the nation, William Blumberg and Robert Kelly, to set up the deciding finish on Court 2. Although Timo Stodder and Adam Walton were able to tie the set at 4-4, Benjamin Sigouin and Blaine Boyden collected the next two games to give the Tar Heels a 1-0 advantage going into singles play.
In singles, Boyden got the next point for UNC by downing Touliatos 6-2, 6-1. Blumberg, the No. 3 ranked singles player in the nation, followed that up with a straight sets win of his own over Stodder, before 90th ranked Kelly finished off the match with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jones.
Although the defeat eliminates the Vols from the postseason, head coach Chris Woodruff reflected on what a remarkable season it was for the Tennessee program, one that included an eight-win turnaround and a return to the top half of the SEC standings.
"I'm really proud of our guys and that includes everyone from the coaching staff to training and strength to academic counselors to athletic directors," Woodruff said. "It takes a lot of people to create a successful season. I'm proud that Tennessee tennis is relevant again."
However, even while the early stages of the offseason can serve as a time to appreciate what the team accomplished, Woodruff reiterated that the progress made this year remains a step towards achieving the program's ultimate goals.
"In no way is the vision complete or remotely close to our vision of success," he said. "But 2017-18 was a move in the right direction. The players worked extremely hard to move this program from the 50s to inside the top 20."
UP NEXT: The loss concludes the 2017-18 season for the Volunteers. The team finished with a 21-9 record, its highest win total since 2013. The season will continue for Stodder, Valero and Touliatos, as all three will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., for the singles competition of the NCAA Championships from May 23-28.
#6 North Carolina 4, #20 Tennessee 0
Singles
1. #3 William Blumberg (NC) def. #16 Timo Stodder (UT) 6-2, 6-4
2. #32 Benjamin Sigouin (NC) vs. Luis Valero (UT) 6-2, 5-3, unfinished
3. Adam Walton (UT) vs. Simon Soendergaard (NC) 7-5, 3-2, unfinished
4. #90 Robert Kelly (NC) def. Scott Jones (UT) 6-4, 6-4
5. Blaine Boyden (NC) def. Preston Touliatos (UT) 6-2, 6-1
6. Luca Wiedenmann (UT) vs. Mac Kiger (NC) 6-3, 4-2, unfinished
Doubles
1. #2 Blumberg/Kelly (NC) def. #7 Valero/Touliatos (UT) 6-2
2. Sigouin/Boyden (NC) def. Stodder/Walton (UT) 6-4
3. Rogers/Jones (UT) def. Kiger/Soendergaard (NC) 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,1,4)
Players Mentioned
