Tag: North Carolina Tar Heels Women’s Tennis

Armando Bacot and Vance Honeycutt highlight recipients of UNC’s top athletic honor

UNC’s athletic accomplishments in the 2023-2024 sports calendar were highlighted by four of its student-athletes winning the same award.

The North Carolina Tar Heels, across all sports, enjoyed a successful 2023-2024 sports calendar.

UNC’s fencing, women’s tennis, men’s golf and men’s track and field teams all won ACC championships, but the most successful program was field hockey, which won a thrilling shootout against Northwestern to capture its 11th National Championship (most all-time).

North Carolina enjoyed a much-needed bounce-back season in men’s basketball, going from missing the NCAA Tournament last year to a Sweet 16 run this year. Armando Bacot became the program’s all-time leader in rebounds and double-doubles.

Most recently, Vance Honeycutt led the Diamond Heels to their first College World Series since 2018. He hit multiple walk-offs in the NCAA Tournament, including UNC’s CWS opener against ACC rival Virginia, while winning his second-straight ACC Defensive Player of the Year award.

Fiona Crawley, who spent most of tennis season as North Carolina’s top singles player, won 14 of the 19 matches she played in. Austin Greaser will go down as one of the best golfers to come through Chapel Hill, with his 71.04 stroke average third in program history.

Due to last year’s combined success between Bacot, Honeycutt, Crawley and Greaser, each student-athlete received the Patterson Medal – UNC’s top athletic honor.

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Each of the above Tar Heels enjoyed amazing careers. Though Honeycutt is the only one who could return, his status as a projected first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft means his time in Chapel Hill is likely over.

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Former Tar Heel Carter joining Women’s Tennis coaching staff

Former Tar Heel Hayley Carter, the most decorated singles player in ACC Women’s Tennis history, is now a member of the coaching staff.

The University of North Carolina women’s tennis team, coming off its first-ever NCAA title earlier this year, just made a major addition to its staff.

Hayley Carter, who became the winningest player in ACC history as a Tar Heel from 2014-2017, re-joins her alma mater after spending last season at Vanderbilt University.

Carter won 168 singles matches and 126 doubles matches during her time as a collegiate athlete. She helped the Tar Heels to 123 wins and just 14 losses as a team, plus the 2015 ITA Indoor National Championship Title. UNC was the NCAA tournament runner-up in Carter’s freshman season, the ACC Tournament Champion in her junior and senior seasons, plus the ACC Regular Season Champion in all four years.

Carter holds an impressive distinction, being the only player in ACC history to be named Scholar-Athlete of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP in back-to-back years (2016 and 2017).

Before hopping back into the college ranks as a coach, Carter spent some time on the professional circuit. She holds a 62-44 record in singles play and a 124-56 mark in doubles, which includes a 2020 quarterfinals appearance in the U.S. Open.

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Women’s tennis coach Brian Kalbas receives contract extension

UNC women’s tennis coach Brian Kalbas receives a contract extension until 2027.

The women’s tennis program has extended head coach Brian Kalbas through the 2027 season. 

The announcement came Thursday afternoon that Kalbas signed a four-year contract extension to remain the coach of the women’s tennis team. This comes on the heels of the program’s first NCAA championship. 

Through the school’s press release, UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham explained the decision-making to give Kalbas the four-year extension. 

“Over the course of 20 years, Coach Brian Kalbas has built and fostered a culture of integrity and success on and off the court,” said Cunningham. “It was truly special to watch him lead his team to the NCAA title, and we look forward to seeing him continue to produce standout players and exceptional people as a Carolina coach.” 

Kalbas holds the program record for most wins (532). He was named the Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year this past season.

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Fiona Crawley named 2023 ACC Women’s Tennis Player of the Year

North Carolina’s Fiona Crawley named 2023 ACC Women’s Tennis Player of the Year.

North Carolina Tar Heel [autotag]Fiona Crawley[/autotag] has been named 2023 Atlantic Coastal Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year.

The announcement came Friday morning, with the conference sending out its yearly awards, blasting the honors on social media. Crawley repped the Tar Heels on the list while NC State took the other two honors, with Diana Shnaider named freshman and Simon Earnshaw winning coach of the year.

Crawley finished the season as the No. 1 player in the nation with a 46-3 record. Earning ITA All-America honors in singles and doubles, the Junior from San Antonio, Texas, had a remarkable year, adding to her UNC legacy.

In May, UNC stayed true to its identity of being a school of national champions, with the women’s tennis program winning its first NCAA Championship.

Crawley was instrumental to the success of UNC this year and, much like other athletes at UNC, continues to carve out her Tar Heel legacy.

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