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The 2023 Division I NCAA Tennis Championship took place last week in Orlando, with the University of North Carolina coming away with multiple national titles, while Virginia took home the men’s team trophy for the second year in a row.
Tar Heels Make History in Orlando
North Carolina won the women's team championship over North Carolina State, marking the first outdoor national title in UNC program history. The Tar Heels had previously won four ITA Indoor Team National Championships and had reached the NCAA final once in 2014. The trophy was clinched at No. 3 singles by sophomore Carson Tanguilig (UTR Rating 10.82) in a three-set battle over Amelia Rajecki (10.88).
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬#GoHeels x #GDTBATH pic.twitter.com/4bAhAGFtTZ
— Carolina Women's Tennis 🐏🎾 (@UNC_wtennis) May 21, 2023
North Carolina was not done yet, with the individual NCAA tournament following the team event. The women’s doubles final came down to two sets of UNC teammates. Fiona Crawley and Carson Tanguilig defeated Reese Brantmeier and Elizabeth Scotty in a deciding tiebreak to win the championship on Saturday. The 2022-23 season is the most successful in UNC women’s tennis history.
In an all-UNC final, Crawley & Tanguilig take the title! 🏆
— NCAA Tennis (@NCAATennis) May 27, 2023
Congratulations to the women's doubles champs! pic.twitter.com/EyKL4sJMok
Tian Wins Women's Singles Trophy
UCLA freshman Fangran Tian (11.05) won the individual women’s NCAA title without the loss of a set. She stormed through the draw, taking out Oklahoma’s Layne Sleeth (10.81) in the final. Tian is the second woman in UCLA program history to win the individual title since Keri Phebus in 1992. Tian ends her debut college season with a 30-7 record, playing at the No. 1 position.
🏆 𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄 🏆
— UCLA Women's Tennis (@uclawtennis) May 27, 2023
Fangran Tian does not drop a single set in Orlando, completing her freshman season atop #NCAATennis.#GoBruins | #ChampionsMadeHere pic.twitter.com/DRRA3EQe2Q
Virginia Repeats as Team Champion
Virginia won the men’s team title in dominant fashion, taking out Ohio State in the final, 4-0. It’s the Cavaliers' second NCAA title in a row and sixth overall. At No. 2 singles, junior Inaki Montes (13.63) clinched the championship with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Cannon Kingsley (13.87). The Cavaliers close their season out on a 22-match win streak.
Quinn Capps First College Year with Title
University of Georgia redshirt freshman Ethan Quinn (13.55) captured the singles men's title by defeating Michigan’s Ondrej Styler (13.89). Seeded No. 2, Quinn won six matches to come away as the NCAA champion, including a quarterfinal win over 2023 Universal Tennis Hurd Award winner Andrew Fenty. He closed his first year of college tennis on a 17-match win streak. The 19-year-old has played on the UTR Pro Tennis Tour previously and has already won two ITF pro titles.
Ohio State’s unseeded duo of Andrew Lutschaunig and James Trotter won the doubles title.