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Despite Syracuse’s 7-1 start last season, it faltered down the stretch and finished 11-10. The Orange struggled against conference opponents, finishing the year with a 4-9 Atlantic Coast Conference record.

This year, SU cruised to a 7-0 start in nonconference play. It looked to carry that momentum into its first match in conference play hosting No. 3 North Carolina.

Though the Orange’s (7-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) conference struggles from last year continued, as they 4-0 to UNC (8-3, 1-0 Atlantic Coast). A young SU team was overmatched by the Tar Heels, losing 2-of-3 doubles matches while getting swept in singles.

“Disappointment was the result, but we are super proud of the team,” Limam said. “I think they battled and threw everything at UNC that we had today.”

After Syracuse’s Miyuka Kimoto and Anastasia Sysoeva downed Columbia in No. 1 doubles last Sunday for their third straight win, they were overpowered against North Carolina. The Tar Heels’ duo of No. 15 Alanis Hamilton and Reese Brantmeier took a quick 3-0 lead and never relinquished it, registering a 6-2 win.

“We should stop thinking about how the other team is playing but try to stay stronger ourselves,” Sysoeva said.

Though SU’s No. 2 doubles tandem Shiori Ito and Nelly Knezkova entered the day 4-0 together in 2025, they also lost. UNC’s Susanna Maltby and Carson Tanguilig overwhelmed them, clinching North Carolina’s doubles point with a 6-3 victory.

In the No. 3 doubles, Syracuse’s Serafima Shastova and Monika Wojcik squared off against Theadora Rabman and Tatum Evans. After the duo’s doubles match finished without a result against Columbia, they captured SU’s only win of the afternoon.

In the No. 1 singles matchup, Kimoto faced Brantmeier. After falling to her in doubles, Kimoto fell 6-1, her first singles loss of the spring campaign.

While Wojcik held a 3-2 lead over North Carolina’s Alana Boyce in the No. 6 singles affair, she faltered as Boyce claimed the first set. Then, Boyce stayed in command en route to a convincing 6-0 victory in the second. This put Syracuse on the brink of its first loss of the spring, needing Sysoeva to win her match.

Entering Friday, Sysoeva had a 1-4 record in singles play. Her struggles continued in No. 3 singles against UNC, as she quickly found herself down 3-1 against No. 32-ranked Tanguilig.

Sysoeva was then in a 5-2 deficit. While she persevered and won the ensuing game, Tanguilig notched a 6-3 win. Sysoeva’s loss dropped the Orange’s record in No. 3 singles play to 3-5.

Tanguiling’s win officially clinched the match for the Tar Heels, getting them back in the win column after dropping their last two matchups. Due to North Carolina taking the doubles point and three singles matchups, the remainder of the singles contests ended.

“Unfortunately, we came up a little short and I think we learned a lot from today’s match,” Limam said. “We need to have a short memory and get ready for Sunday.”

Published on February 21, 2025 at 8:11 pm

sabrod@syr.edu