Tar Heels Topple No. 1 Georgia in Statement Win at Chewning Tennis Center
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - If there were any questions about how this year’s North Carolina women’s tennis team stacks up against the nation’s best, Sunday afternoon delivered a resounding answer. The No. 3 Tar Heels took the court against defending national champion and top-ranked Georgia and walked away with a convincing 5-2 victory at the Chewning Tennis Center - a performance that showcased grit, depth, and a whole lot of poise under pressure.
Let’s break it down.
Doubles: A Battle for the Early Edge
The doubles point set the tone, and it didn’t come easy. Carolina dropped the opening match, with the pairing of Evans and Frey falling 6-3 to Georgia’s Dong and Gureva. That put the pressure squarely on the Tar Heels' remaining two pairs - and they delivered.
No. 3-ranked duo Oby Kajuru and Susanna Maltby fought through a tight 6-4 win to even the score. That left it up to the No. 11 tandem of Reese Brantmeier and Alanis Hamilton, who faced Georgia’s Mert and Dilek in a high-stakes decider. Brantmeier and Hamilton came through in the clutch, taking the match 6-3 and giving UNC the all-important doubles point.
That early 1-0 lead would prove crucial.
Singles: Frey Sets the Tone, Brantmeier Seals the Deal
Anna Frey wasted no time making her mark in singles. Facing No.
50 Sofia Rojas, Frey delivered a poised, straight-sets win - 6-4, 6-4 - and in doing so, notched the first ranked singles victory of her college career. That’s a milestone moment, and it came on one of the biggest stages of the season so far.
Georgia answered with a win of their own to close the gap to 2-1, but Carolina wasn’t rattled.
Alanis Hamilton - ranked No. 69 - showed serious resolve after dropping her first set against No. 25 Anastasiia Gureva. Hamilton flipped the script with a strong second set and then took control in the third, winning 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 to stretch the Tar Heels' lead to 3-1.
Then came the closer.
As she’s done so many times before, No. 1 Reese Brantmeier found herself in the clinching spot.
Up against No. 61 Anastasiia Lopata, Brantmeier edged out a tense first-set tiebreak and followed it up with a 6-4 second set to seal both her singles win and the overall match for Carolina.
That made it 4-1, and the Tar Heels had officially knocked off the top team in the country.
Evans Outlasts Dilek in a Marathon
With the match already decided, the final two singles contests still brought plenty of drama. Tatum Evans, ranked No. 35, went the distance against Georgia’s No.
15 Deniz Dilek in what turned into a three-set marathon. Evans took the first set 7-5, dropped the second in a tight tiebreak, then locked in for a 6-3 finish in the third.
That win marked her sixth of the season and added an exclamation point to Carolina’s day.
Georgia salvaged one more point with Emma Dong defeating Theadora Rabman in straight sets, but the story of the afternoon was clear: North Carolina made a statement.
Final Score: North Carolina 5, Georgia 2
This wasn’t just a win - it was a message. Against the reigning champs, UNC showed off its balance from top to bottom, with veterans stepping up and younger players rising to the moment. From Brantmeier’s steady leadership to Frey’s breakout performance, the Tar Heels looked every bit like a team built for a deep postseason run.
They’re not just chasing Georgia anymore. They’re in the conversation - and after Sunday, they might just be leading it.