Carolina women’s tennis is headed into the final day of the 2026 ITA Carolina Regional with a freshman still alive in singles and a doubles team one win away from the title.
Avery Nguyen kept her run rolling Monday in Columbia, S.C., knocking off Duke’s Eleana Yu 6-4, 6-4 to move into the semifinals. Nguyen battled through the Qualifying Draw to get here, and she has kept backing it up every round since. She is now the lone Tar Heel left in the singles bracket.
The doubles side delivered the other big result of the day. Tatum Evans and Alanis Hamilton outlasted South Carolina’s No. 54-ranked pair of Kaitlyn Carnicella and Lina Bergqvist Larsson, rallying after dropping the opening set and surviving a third-set tiebreak, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 1-0 (10). That puts the Tar Heels into the finals.
Monday’s singles board was less kind to the rest of Carolina’s lineup. Theadora Rabman fell to Jana Stojanova of South Carolina, 7-5, 7-5.
No. 85 Alexis Nguyen was beaten by No.
33 Lavinia Tanasie of NC State, 6-1, 6-0. Aya Manning also was listed as a withdrawal against NC State’s Amelie Smejkalova.
Nguyen’s path to this point has been steady all weekend. She opened Sunday by beating her teammate Alanis Hamilton 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 in an all-UNC matchup, while Rabman, Alexis Nguyen and Aya Manning all added wins of their own. On the doubles courts that day, Evans and Hamilton picked up two victories, and Manning/Nguyen also advanced before dropping a later match to South Carolina’s ranked duo.
Saturday brought another busy day for the Tar Heels, with Evans, Avery Nguyen, Hamilton, Rabman, Alexis Nguyen, Manning, and Mary Grace Rennard all posting singles wins. Evans/Hamilton, Khirin/Frey, and Manning/Ngueyn also all won in doubles, with Manning and Nguyen edging NC State’s No. 16 pair in a tiebreak.
Friday’s opening results set the tone for the UNC contingent. Evans, Avery Nguyen, Hamilton, Rabman, Nicole Khirin, Alexis Nguyen, Maddy Zampardo, Anna Frey, and Ishika Ashar all picked up singles victories, while Evans/Hamilton, Khirin/Frey, Manning/Nguyen, and Boyce/Rabman won in doubles.
The tournament is being held at the Carolina Outdoor Tennis Center as part of a 13-site regional format across the country. The event sends the two singles finalists from each region to the NCAA Championships, while only the doubles champion at each site advances.
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UNCs New-Look Roster Already Has An Early Concern
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The issues were easy to spot. North Carolina needed more from its bench, had trouble on the perimeter and got beat on the glass, three areas that tend to matter even more once the games start counting for real. The Tar Heels also played without sophomore guard Isaiah Denis, which only added another layer to an already thin rotation look, and left plenty for the staff to sort through before the opener arrives. [Read more 🡒]