April 10, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Sophomore Noelle Hickey clinched the match and the seventh-ranked Georgia Tech women’s tennis team earned its eighth straight win with a 5-2 defeat of No. 19 North Carolina (16-8, 6-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) Friday afternoon at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.
Hickey, ranked 54th in the latest Campbell’s ITA poll, knocked off Austin Smith, 6-3, 6-3 at the No. 3 position in the lineup for her 26th singles victory of the season. The Yellow Jackets moved to 16-5 overall and 9-1 in the ACC. With this win, Tech has locked up a bye for the first round of the ACC Tournament next week.
Tech opened the day by taking the doubles point from the Tar Heels. Lynn Blau and Amanda McDowell led off with an 8-5 win over Laura Reichert and Meg Fanjoy on court three. The Jackets duo of Sasha Krupina and Irina Falconi would then seal the point with an 8-4 clinching win over Austin Smith and Katrina Tsang at the No. 2 doubles position.
Sanaz Marand, the 61st-ranked player in the nation, took advantage of playing on her home to court to earn a 6-1, 6-1 win over No. 7 Falconi to tie the score at 1-1. McDowell quickly pushed the Jackets back into the lead with a 6-3, 6-0 win over No. 63 Tsang on court two.
The Yellow Jackets lead grew to 3-0 behind Blau’s 6-1, 6-4 victory over Jelena Durisic from the sixth spot in the lineup. Hickey would then close out the win with her straight-set victory.
Senior Christy Striplin would also add a singles win for the Jackets after the Tar Heel’s Sophie Grabinski had to retire due to illness.
The Yellow Jackets will close out their regular season Saturday with a huge match against No. 5 Duke in Durham, N.C. With a win, Georgia Tech will clinch a share of the ACC Regular Season Title. First serve is scheduled for noon at Ambler Tennis Stadium.
