CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Four Wildcats started their seasons this weekend at the UNC Invite against top competition from 13 other schools, highlighted by a 3-1 effort in doubles from both pairs.
Briana Crowley and Christina Hand, ranked 30th in the preseason ITA Top 60 Doubles went 3-1, with wins over duos from North Carolina, Louisiana State and Kansas. Clarissa Hand and Maria Shusharina also went 3-1 with three straight wins to close out the weekend, including a win over Marlee Zein and Sydney Berlin, the former of whom was ranked on a top-40 duo in the preseason poll.
Shusharina, a sophomore, went 3-1 over the weekend with three wins in a row over opponents from Duke, Virginia and Old Dominion. Her first win came aaginst Karolina Berankova, who was ranked as high as No. 95 last season and racked up 11 wins for the Blue Devils. Shusharina knocked off Nicole Kiefer, a first-year for the Cavaliers with a five-star rating as a recruit, in straight sets with ease, 6-0, 6-2, for her second win. Her last win required a 10-8 third set super tiebreak to take down Alesya Yakubovich of Old Dominion, who was previously first-team All-Conference USA in singles in 2019.
Christina Hand opened her weekend with a massive comeback win, 2-6, 7-6 (7), 11-9, over Yu Chen of Auburn. Chen has been ranked nationally in both of the last two season, and was high as No. 94 last season playing No. 2 singles for the Tigers. She picked up another win against a first-year from Texas.
Clarissa Hand opened her weekend with two straight wins, starting off impressivly with a 7-6 (5), 7-5 win over Alle Sanford from the hosts UNC. Sanford was ranked as high as No. 53 in sing;es last season and is a three-time ACC Champion with the Tar Heels. Hand followed that up with a three set win over Casie Wooten, who compiled a 13-7 record last year for Wake Forest.
Crowley got off to fast start with a quick 6-3, 6-1 over Alexandra Vikotorich, who was on the All-CUSA freshman team last season for ODU. She then ran into Fiona Crawley, who is ranked No. 35 in the country, in a 6-4, 6-3 defeat.
Full results for the weekend can be found below. The Wildcats will be back in action next week with two events, the ITA All-Americans and the Wildcat Invite in Evanston.
Kitty Harrison Invitational (UNC Invite) – Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sept. 24-26)
Singles
Maria Shusharina (3-1)
Samantha Martinelli (WAKE) def. Maria Shusharina (NU), 7-5, 2-6, 10-8
Maria Shusharina (NU) def. Karolina Berankova (DUKE), 6-4, 3-3 retired
Maria Shusharina (NU) def. Nicole Kiefer (UVA), 6-0, 6-2
Maria Shusharina (NU) def. Alesya Yakubovich (ODU), 6-2, 2-6, 10-8
Christina Hand (2-2)
Christina Hand (NU) def. Yu Chen (AUB), 2-6, 7-6 (7), 11-9
Tatsiana Sasnouskaya (ODU) def. Christina Hand (NU), 6-2, 6-4
Christina Hand (NU) def. Mariana Velasquez (KU), 7-6 (7), 6-3
Lucia Quiterio (CHAR) def. Christina Hand (NU), 6-4, 6-3
Clarissa Hand (2-1)
Clarissa Hand (NU) def. Alle Sanford (UNC), 7-6 (5), 7-5
Clarissa Hand (NU) def. Casie Wooten (WAKE), 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
Thasaporn Nakio (ISU) def. Clarissa Hand (NU), 6-3, 6-2
Briana Crowley (1-3)
Briana Crowley (NU) def. Alexandra Viktorovich (ODU), 6-3, 6-1
Fiona Crawley (UNC) def. Briana Crowley (NU), 6-4, 6-3
Ruxi Schech (CHAR) def. Briana Crowley (NU), 6-4, 6-3
Taylor Bridges (LSU) def. Briana Crowley (NU), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (3-1)
Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NU) def. Sophia Patel/Sara McClure (UNC), 6-0
Alicia Dudeney/Carly Briggs (UF) def. Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NU), 6-4
Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NU) def. Maggie Cubit/Safiya Carrington (LSU), 7-6(6)
Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NU) def. Malkia Ngounoue/Mariana Velasquez (KU), 6-4
Maria Shusharina/Clarissa Hand (3-1)
Mila Saric/Raffaela Alhach (W&M) def. Maria Shusharina/Clarissa Hand (NU), 6-4
Maria Shusharina/Clarissa Hand (NU) def. Marlee Zein/Sydney Berlin (UF), 6-4
Maria Shusharina/Clarissa Hand (NU) def. Sara Ziodata/Nicole Kiefer (UVA), 6-2
Maria Shusharina/Clarissa Hand (NU) def. Nina Geissler/Mia Rabinowitz (LSU), 6-4
Briana Crowley and Christina Hand, ranked 30th in the preseason ITA Top 60 Doubles went 3-1, with wins over duos from North Carolina, Louisiana State and Kansas. Clarissa Hand and Maria Shusharina also went 3-1 with three straight wins to close out the weekend, including a win over Marlee Zein and Sydney Berlin, the former of whom was ranked on a top-40 duo in the preseason poll.
Shusharina, a sophomore, went 3-1 over the weekend with three wins in a row over opponents from Duke, Virginia and Old Dominion. Her first win came aaginst Karolina Berankova, who was ranked as high as No. 95 last season and racked up 11 wins for the Blue Devils. Shusharina knocked off Nicole Kiefer, a first-year for the Cavaliers with a five-star rating as a recruit, in straight sets with ease, 6-0, 6-2, for her second win. Her last win required a 10-8 third set super tiebreak to take down Alesya Yakubovich of Old Dominion, who was previously first-team All-Conference USA in singles in 2019.
Christina Hand opened her weekend with a massive comeback win, 2-6, 7-6 (7), 11-9, over Yu Chen of Auburn. Chen has been ranked nationally in both of the last two season, and was high as No. 94 last season playing No. 2 singles for the Tigers. She picked up another win against a first-year from Texas.
Clarissa Hand opened her weekend with two straight wins, starting off impressivly with a 7-6 (5), 7-5 win over Alle Sanford from the hosts UNC. Sanford was ranked as high as No. 53 in sing;es last season and is a three-time ACC Champion with the Tar Heels. Hand followed that up with a three set win over Casie Wooten, who compiled a 13-7 record last year for Wake Forest.
Crowley got off to fast start with a quick 6-3, 6-1 over Alexandra Vikotorich, who was on the All-CUSA freshman team last season for ODU. She then ran into Fiona Crawley, who is ranked No. 35 in the country, in a 6-4, 6-3 defeat.
Full results for the weekend can be found below. The Wildcats will be back in action next week with two events, the ITA All-Americans and the Wildcat Invite in Evanston.
Kitty Harrison Invitational (UNC Invite) – Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sept. 24-26)
Singles
Maria Shusharina (3-1)
Samantha Martinelli (WAKE) def. Maria Shusharina (NU), 7-5, 2-6, 10-8
Maria Shusharina (NU) def. Karolina Berankova (DUKE), 6-4, 3-3 retired
Maria Shusharina (NU) def. Nicole Kiefer (UVA), 6-0, 6-2
Maria Shusharina (NU) def. Alesya Yakubovich (ODU), 6-2, 2-6, 10-8
Christina Hand (2-2)
Christina Hand (NU) def. Yu Chen (AUB), 2-6, 7-6 (7), 11-9
Tatsiana Sasnouskaya (ODU) def. Christina Hand (NU), 6-2, 6-4
Christina Hand (NU) def. Mariana Velasquez (KU), 7-6 (7), 6-3
Lucia Quiterio (CHAR) def. Christina Hand (NU), 6-4, 6-3
Clarissa Hand (2-1)
Clarissa Hand (NU) def. Alle Sanford (UNC), 7-6 (5), 7-5
Clarissa Hand (NU) def. Casie Wooten (WAKE), 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
Thasaporn Nakio (ISU) def. Clarissa Hand (NU), 6-3, 6-2
Briana Crowley (1-3)
Briana Crowley (NU) def. Alexandra Viktorovich (ODU), 6-3, 6-1
Fiona Crawley (UNC) def. Briana Crowley (NU), 6-4, 6-3
Ruxi Schech (CHAR) def. Briana Crowley (NU), 6-4, 6-3
Taylor Bridges (LSU) def. Briana Crowley (NU), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (3-1)
Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NU) def. Sophia Patel/Sara McClure (UNC), 6-0
Alicia Dudeney/Carly Briggs (UF) def. Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NU), 6-4
Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NU) def. Maggie Cubit/Safiya Carrington (LSU), 7-6(6)
Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NU) def. Malkia Ngounoue/Mariana Velasquez (KU), 6-4
Maria Shusharina/Clarissa Hand (3-1)
Mila Saric/Raffaela Alhach (W&M) def. Maria Shusharina/Clarissa Hand (NU), 6-4
Maria Shusharina/Clarissa Hand (NU) def. Marlee Zein/Sydney Berlin (UF), 6-4
Maria Shusharina/Clarissa Hand (NU) def. Sara Ziodata/Nicole Kiefer (UVA), 6-2
Maria Shusharina/Clarissa Hand (NU) def. Nina Geissler/Mia Rabinowitz (LSU), 6-4