UNC women's tennis defeats Pepperdine, advances to NCAA semis

Champaign, Ill. — Anika Yarlagadda has become a clutch player for the University of North Carolina women's tennis program. The junior once again came up with a critical clinch-point victory that gave the top ranked Tar Heels a 4-3 win over No. 8 Pepperdine in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Championship.

North Carolina (28-2) reaches its fifth NCAA Final Four in program history and for the first time advances to the semifinals in back-to-back seasons. Today's win also exacted a bit of revenge from last year's 4-3 loss to Pepperdine in the semis in Orlando.

Carolina won the doubles point for the fourth time in four NCAA matches to grab the early 1-0 lead. No. 2 Fiona Crawley and Elizabeth Scotty made quick work of No. 45 Lisa Zaar and Victoria Flores on court one, 6-1. The Tar Heels were leading on both remaining courts when Pepperdine's Taisiya Pachaleva suffered an apparent leg injury on court three that forced the Waves duo to retire from the match. Cameron Morra and Reilly Tran were awarded the win that lifted the Tar Heels into the lead. 

Pepperdine responded with the next two points of the match with wins on courts one and three and just like that UNC trailed for the first time in the month of May.

Scotty pulled one back for the Heels with a dominating performance over No. 15 Shiori Fukuda, 6-3, 6-4.

Carolina regained its lead when freshman No. 51 Carson Tanguilig won a thriller in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, over No. 59 Flores.

No. 55 Crawley dropped just the second dual match of her career to No. 85 Savannah Broadus on court four, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, that squared the match at 3-3.

The decider came down to court six between Yarlagadda and Pepperdine's No. 121 Nikki Redelijk, who was inserted into the lineup after the injury to Pachaleva in doubles.

Yarlagadda, who clinched the ITA National Team Indoor Championship title against Oklahoma back in February, lost the opening point, but improved to 4-0 in NCAA play this spring by prevailing in a thriller, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

UNC is one win away from reaching just its second NCAA national title match and first since falling 4-3 to UCLA in 2014. The Tar Heels' other semifinals appearances came in 2010, 2019 and 2021.

Carolina improves to 4-1 all-time against the Waves, who end their season with a 23-7 record.

Singles Results
1. #91 Janice Tjen (PEPP) def. #5 Cameron Morra (UNC) 6-3, 6-1
2. #30 Elizabeth Scotty (UNC) def. #15 Shiori Fukuda (PEPP) 6-3, 6-4
3. #27 Lisa Zaar (PEPP) def. #35 Reilly Tran (UNC) 6-2, 6-1
4. #85 Savannah Broadus (PEPP) def. #55 Fiona Crawley (UNC) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
5. #51 Carson Tanguilig (UNC) def. #59 Victoria Flores (PEPP) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Anika Yarlagadda (UNC) def. #121 Nikki Redelijk (PEPP) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2

Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 6

Doubles Results
1. #2 Crawley/Scotty (UNC) def. #45 Lisa Zaar/Victoria Flores (PEPP) 6-1
2. Sanford/Tanguilig (UNC) vs. #42 Savannah Broads/Janice Tjen (PEPP) 4-3, unfinished
3. Morra/Tran (UNC) def. Taisiya Pachaleva/Shiori Kukuda (PEPP) 4-1, retired due to injury