Tar Heels Dominate Doubleheader, Kalbas Hits 800-Win Milestone
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The No. 3 North Carolina women’s tennis team didn’t just open their Saturday doubleheader with confidence - they closed it with authority. Playing on their home court at the Chewning Tennis Center, the Tar Heels swept both Gardner-Webb and Appalachian State by identical 7-0 margins, moving to 3-0 on the young season and delivering a milestone moment for head coach Brian Kalbas, who notched his 800th career victory.
Let’s start with that number: 800. It's a staggering total that speaks to sustained excellence, year after year, match after match. Kalbas has built a powerhouse in Chapel Hill, and Saturday was yet another reminder of just how deep and disciplined this program is.
Match One: Gardner-Webb Has No Answers
The morning session against Gardner-Webb was all business for UNC. The doubles point was secured quickly thanks to a pair of dominant performances.
Claire Hill and Theadora Rabman set the tone with a sharp 6-1 win, and Oby Kajuru and Tatum Evans followed up with a 6-2 victory to lock up the point. The third doubles match was unfinished, but the Tar Heels were leading there too.
From there, singles play was a clean sweep. Six matches, six wins - and five of them in straight sets without dropping more than two games in either set.
Alanis Hamilton and Claire Hill each threw down 6-0, 6-0 scorelines, completely overwhelming their opponents. It was the kind of performance that shows not just talent, but focus - no letups, no lapses.
Match Two: Statement Made Against App State
The afternoon brought a new opponent in Appalachian State, but the result was the same: total control from start to finish.
UNC took all three doubles matches in commanding fashion. Brantmeier and Hamilton cruised to a 6-2 win, while Kajuru and Abbey Maltby, and the pairing of Evans and Anna Frey, each posted 6-1 victories. That kind of depth across the doubles lineup is a luxury most programs can only dream of.
But the highlight of the day came in singles, where No. 23 Oby Kajuru faced off against No.
5 Savannah Dada-Mascoll. On paper, it was a marquee matchup - two top-ranked players squaring off.
On the court, Kajuru left no doubt. She dismantled Dada-Mascoll 6-1, 6-2, delivering a statement win that will resonate well beyond this weekend.
The rest of the singles lineup followed Kajuru’s lead. Evans, Hamilton, Rabman, Frey, and Hill each took care of business in straight sets, sealing another 7-0 sweep and capping off a dominant day for the Tar Heels.
What’s Next
UNC now turns its attention to a big early-season test. The Tar Heels will host No.
14 Virginia on Monday - a familiar ACC foe and a program that always brings intensity to the court. With momentum on their side and Kalbas hitting a major career milestone, Carolina enters that matchup with confidence and clarity about who they are: a team with championship aspirations and the depth to back it up.
Saturday wasn’t just about two wins. It was about setting a tone for the season - and if this is the standard, the rest of the country better be paying attention.