The 20th-ranked North Carolina women’s tennis team edged Georgia Tech, 4-3, Saturday afternoon at Tech’s Bill Moore Tennis Center in the regular-season finale for both teams.
In the final home match of her career, senior Bobbi Guthrie picked up wins at both singles and doubles. The Yellow Jackets’ all-time leader in career doubles wins, Guthrie and doubles partner Mysti Morris knocked off their second consecutive ranked opponent. The duo defeated Carolina’s 50th-ranked doubles team of Kate Pinchbeck and Kendrick Bunn 8-4 at No. 1 doubles just a day after beating the No. 4 doubles team in the country from Duke.
Despite the win by Guthrie and Morris, North Carolina earned the critical doubles point with wins at No. 2 and No. 3.
The Yellow Jackets and Tar Heels split singles, each claiming three victories.
Guthrie closed out her home career with a win in the final match of the day, defeating Kristin Koenig, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 4 singles. Morris joined her as the only Yellow Jackets to win both singles and doubles, defeating No. 51 Julie Rotondi, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2, at No. 2 singles. Junior Laura Ozolins won her fifth consecutive singles match, defeating Courtney Zalinski, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 6 singles.
But the Tar Heels also claimed three singles victories to win the match. The nation’s 14th-ranked player by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, UNC sophomore Marlene Mejia held off Tech’s Debbie Reynolds, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 1 singles. No. 75 Kate Pinchbeck defeated Yellow Jacket sophomore Jaime Wong, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 3 singles and UNC freshman Elina Bairos clinched the victory with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Mason Miller at No. 5 singles.
Georgia Tech fell to 11-10 overall and 4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and will compete in the ACC Championships in Orlando, Fla., April 19-22.
North Carolina 4, Georgia Tech 3
Singles:
1. #14 Marlene Mejia (UNC) def. Debbie Reynolds (GT) 6-4, 6-3
2. Mysti Morris (GT) def. #51 Julie Rotondi (UNC) 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2
3. #75 Kate Pinchbeck (UNC) def. Jaime Wong (GT) 6-4, 6-2
4. Bobbi Guthrie (GT) def. Kristin Koenig (UNC) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
5. Elina Bairos (UNC) def. Mason Miller (GT) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
6. Laura Ozolins (GT) def. Courtney Zalinski (UNC) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles: UNC wins point
1. Guthrie/Morris (GT) def. #50 Pinchbeck/Kendrick Bunn 8-4
2. #35 Mejia/Rotondi (UNC) def. Ozolins/Wong 8-5
3. Zalinski/Erin Niebling (UNC) def. Fallon Koon/M. Miller 8-5
