The first day of main draw play at the 2026 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Carolina Regional gave North Carolina plenty to like at the Carolina Tennis Center.
The Tar Heels won six singles matches Friday and added four wins in their first five doubles matches on the campus of the University of South Carolina. Six UNC players - Will Mayew, Niels Ratiu, Chris Xu, Nick Mangiapane, Ian Mayew and Sebastian Sec - advanced through their opening singles matches, while the doubles teams of Lachlan Gaskell and Mangiapane, Will Mayew and Sec, Ian Mayew and Kase Schinnerer, and Ratiu and Xu all picked up victories.
Sec delivered one of the day’s biggest results, knocking off 34th-ranked and No. 2 seed Paul Barbier Gazeu of South Carolina. Xu also landed a ranked win, taking down No. 77 and No. 6 seed William Manning of NC State. Mangiapane kept his run rolling with a third win in two days after surviving both of his qualifying matches on Thursday.
Friday’s singles board was a mixed one for the Tar Heels beyond those advances. Lachlan Gaskell fell to Jakub Solarski of the College of Charleston, and Kase Schinnerer dropped a three-set match to Jip Means of UNC Asheville. But UNC answered elsewhere, with Will Mayew beating Andrii Borodatiuk of SC State, Ratiu handling Edoardo Santoni of the College of Charleston, Ian Mayew defeating Alex Degabriele of UNCW, and Sec outlasting Barbier Gazeu in three sets.
Mangiapane’s path was the grind of the day. After getting through qualifying with wins over Parker Mariencheck of Wofford and Dario Navarro of Presbyterian on Thursday, he came back Friday and edged Jack Deveney of Wofford in a tight three-setter.
In doubles, Gaskell and Mangiapane opened with an 8-5 win over Cian Ingles and Harrison Cooper of UNC Asheville before falling to South Carolina’s Gabe Avram and Charlie Robertson, 8-4. The other UNC pairs were more decisive: Will Mayew and Sec beat Jack DiMenna and Ben Patrick Ostheimer of Charlotte 8-1, Ian Mayew and Schinnerer rolled past Gabriel Jacquemin and Brady Hussey of UNCW 8-1, and Ratiu and Xu topped Daniel Franco Key and Yoel Serekeberhan of UNC Asheville 8-2.
Play continues Saturday with six Tar Heels set for singles main draw action. Will Mayew faces Hiiro Sakamoto of Charlotte, Ratiu meets William Moxon of South Carolina, Xu draws Atakan Karahan of South Carolina, Mangiapane plays No. 9 seed Yannick Theodor Alexandrescou of Duke, Ian Mayew takes on Antonin Witz of South Carolina, and Sec goes against Darius Florin Pop of NC State. Kase Schinnerer and Gaskell are also scheduled for singles consolation matches.
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Bill Belichick pointed to the teams toughness and preparation after the comeback, and the Tar Heels backed that up by digging out of a 10-point hole and tightening up defensively in the second half. Shamar Easters 75-yard touchdown provided the burst that changed the feel of the game, while the defense did enough to keep Pittsburgh from building on its chances, leaving UNC with a result that answers one of the biggest questions hanging over this seasons start. [Read more 🡒]
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Addison West gave the Tar Heels a lift in her first career start, adding to a group effort that showed up at the net and across the floor. With multiple blocks and contributions from several players, Carolina continues to win in a way that suggests the ceiling may still be rising as the schedule moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
UNC's Secondary Suddenly Faces A Big Loss After Pitt Win
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Kaleb Cost also was injured in the same contest, and his return timeline remains unclear, leaving UNC with questions at a position group that can ill afford more uncertainty. Miller is reportedly doubtful to come back this season, which gives the injury even more weight as the Tar Heels shift from celebrating a victory to figuring out how much depth they have left in the back end. [Read more 🡒]