Alanis Hamilton faced an uphill battle, losing her first set but managed to rally, taking her second set and ultimately securing the match with a score of 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 at No. 4 singles. This victory helped fifth-seeded North Carolina defeat 12th-seeded NC State, 4-2, in the NCAA Super Regional on Friday.
The Tar Heels experienced a rare setback by dropping the doubles point for only the third time in 30 matches this spring. However, they rebounded strongly, claiming victory thanks to singles wins from Theadora Rabman, Reese Brantmeier, Carson Tanguilig, and Hamilton.
Next, Carolina will face No. 13 seed LSU on Thursday, May 15, in the NCAA quarterfinals in Waco, Texas. LSU scored an upset against fourth-seed Ohio State earlier on Friday in Columbus, Ohio.
UNC is on a remarkable winning streak of 11 matches, outscoring opponents 44-5 and achieving eight shutouts during this run, bringing their overall season record to 26-4. NC State concludes their season with a 19-7 record. The Tar Heels previously defeated NC State 4-3 in the regular season and 4-1 in the ACC Championship semifinals, marking their third victory over the Wolfpack in 2025.
This marks Carolina’s 13th appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight, a consistent achievement since 2002. Head coach Brian Kalbas acknowledged the challenge of losing the doubles point but expressed optimism about the team’s performance. “I was actually very encouraged by how we played,” he said. “We need all six players to compete when we lose the doubles point.”
The doubles competition began with NC State’s seventh-ranked duo of Gabriella Broadfoot and Maddy Zampardo defeating #2 Brantmeier and Hamilton, 6-3, at the No. 1 position. Carolina leveled the score at No. 3 with Rabman and Tatum Evans winning 6-4 over Kristina Paskauskas and Mia Slama.
The deciding doubles match went to NC State, where Jasmine Conway and Anna Zyryanova edged #16 Tanguilig and Susanna Maltby in a nail-biting 7-6 (6) finish.
Carolina rallied back to equalize at 1-1 when Rabman overcame #76 Zampardo with a score of 6-3, 6-2 at No. 2 singles. Brantmeier then propelled the Tar Heels into the lead at 2-1 by defeating #55 Zyryanova, 6-2, 7-5 at No. 1 singles. Tanguilig extended the lead to 3-1 with her win at No. 5, but NC State quickly narrowed the gap to 3-2 at No. 6. Hamilton’s clutch victory sealed the match for Carolina.
As Tanguilig reflected on the match, she mentioned her relief after overcoming her challenges in previous competitions, emphasizing the collective effort of the team. “It felt really good to get through the singles,” she said.
FINAL SCORE: #5 seed North Carolina 4, #12 seed NC State 2
Friday, May 9, 2025
Chewning Tennis Center
2025 NCAA Championship Super Regional
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Match Results
DOUBLES
1) #7 Gabriella Broadfoot/Maddy Zampardo (NCSU) def. #2 Reese Brantmeier/Alanis Hamilton (UNC), 6-3
2) Jasmine Conway/Anna Zyryanova (NCSU) def. #16 Susanna Maltby/Carson Tanguilig (UNC), 7-6 (6)
3) Tatum Evans/Theadora Rabman (UNC) def. Kristina Paskauskas/Mia Slama (NCSU), 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES
1) #3 Reese Brantmeier (UNC) def. #55 Anna Zyryanova (NCSU), 6-2, 7-5
2) #24 Theadora Rabman (UNC) def. #76 Maddy Zampardo (NCSU), 6-3, 6-2
3) #63 Tatum Evans (UNC) led #110 Gabriella Broadfoot (NCSU), 3-6, 6-4, 5-4 (unfinished)
4) Alanis Hamilton (UNC) def. Kristina Paskauskas (NCSU), 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4
5) #43 Carson Tanguilig (UNC) def. #110 Mia Slama (NCSU), 6-4, 6-4
6) #86 Gabia Paskauskas (NCSU) def. Claire Hill (UNC), 6-4, 6-1
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 5, 6, 4
Time of match: 3:33
