ITA Women's NTI Championship Set: California vs. North Carolina

The 2016 ITA Women's National Team Indoor Championship is set with #6 California taking on the defending champions, #5 North Carolina. Both teams escaped close wins and tomorrow's final should be a real enticing encounter. Doubles will be a big point for either team and Cal will be focused on its first-strike tennis to gather momentum. North Carolina has been in this situation before and I think they''ll use their experience to wear down and overwhelm the Bears. Any player on both teams can take the match and I'm not the most confident in my predictions. The matchup is essentially a coin flip.

Jonathan Kelley from On The Rise be recapping with his thoughts and quotes at ZooTennis later tonight and will be covering tomorrow's final as well.

Master Lineups

(4)#6 California def. (8) #16 Ohio State 4-3

Ohio State was playing with house money after defeating #1 Vanderbilt and after dropping two consecutive doubles points after having match points, they took a 1-0 lead into singles. Anna Sanford and Miho Kowase upset at the No.1 line to capture the doubles, but the Bears took 4 first sets in singles. #10 Klara Fabikova dominated at No.2 to quickly tie the match before #2 Francesca DiLorenzo downed #5 Maegan Manasse at No.1. #81 Olivia Hauger, who's been quietly impressive this tournament, escaped a close two-set win at No.5 to tie the match back. Anna Sanford then pulled off an upset against former NCAA singles finalist Lynn Chi at No.3 to move the Buckeyes a point from an unlikely final. Unfortunately, Cal was up *4-2 in the third set of those matches and Denise Starr tied things up with a win over Miho Kowase. All eyes moved to No.6, where there were plenty of deciding (deuce with no-ad) points affecting the match. Karla Popovic won the final deciding point to put the Bears into their second-ever NTI final (1st: 2000). 

Popovic d. Sneed 6-2 1-6 6-3. The University of California Golden Bears join UNC in the #ITAIndoors final pic.twitter.com/w4Ex39n8Oa

— Jonathan Kelley (@jokelley_tennis) February 7, 2016

California vs. Ohio State 

1. #6 Sanford/Kowase (OSU) def. #3 Manasse/Starr (CAL), 7-6(7-5)

2. #43 Fabikova/Hauger (CAL) vs. DeSantis/Angeles Paz (OSU), 5-5, unfinished

3. Sneed/DiLorenzo (FSU) def. Chi/Smith (CAL), 6-4

Order of Finish: 3, 1*

1. #2 Francesca DiLorenzo (OSU, 12.05 UTR) def. #5 Maegan Manasse (CAL, 11.65 UTR), 6-2, 7-6(7-2)
2. #10 Klara Fabikova (CAL, 11.40 UTR) def. Gabriella DeSantis (OSU, 10.31 UTR), 6-2, 6-1
3. Anna Sanford (OSU, 10.62 UTR) def. Lynn Chi (CAL, 11.25 UTR), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. Denise Starr (CAL, 11.23 UTR) def. Miho Kowase (OSU, 10.37 UTR), 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
5. #81 Olivia Hauger (CAL, 11.01 UTR) def. Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU, 10.61 UTR), 6-4, 6-4
6. Karla Popovic (CAL, 10.60 UTR) def. Olivia Sneed (OSU, 9.85 UTR), 6-2, 1-6, 6-3
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 5, 3, 4, 6*

(3)#5 North Carolina def. (2)#2 Georgia 4-2
Defending champion North Carolina needed to execute well in doubles and keep the momentum in singles. Unfortunately, UGA ignored that memo, taking the No.2 match first 6-0 before the Tar Heels rallied to score the first point. #109 Kennedy Shaffer then tied up things up at No.4 with a quick win over Kate Vialle. Jessie Aney, who moved up to the No.3 position, dominated Silvia Garcia to give UNC a 2-1 lead. Whitney Kay of UNC recovered from a first set bagel to upset #22 Caroline Brinson at No.2, but Georgia's Mariana Gould put the score at 3-2 at No.5. #112 Chlow Ouellet-Pizer, who clinched her first match for UNC in the quarterfinals would do it again, surviving Laura Patterson 6-4 in the 3rd to send the Tar Heels into their 3rd NTI final in 5 years.

.@UNC_wtennis d. UGA 4-1 to reach #ITAIndoors final. Chloe Ouellet-Pizer comes back from 1-4 in 3rd to win 61 26 64 pic.twitter.com/S7TbtSKl84

— Jonathan Kelley (@jokelley_tennis) February 7, 2016

North Carolina vs. Georgia

1. #2 Carter/Kay (UNC) def. #14 Perez/Gould (UGA), 6-4

2. Garcia/Brinson (UGA) def. #16 Aney/Vialle (UNC), 6-0

3. Dai/Ouellet-Pizer (UNC) def. Patterson/Shaffer (UGA), 6-3

Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3*

1. #12 Ellen Perez (UGA, 11.57 UTR) vs. #6 Hayley Carter (UNC, 11.73 UTR), 5-7, 6-4, 2-1, unfinished
2. #88 Whitney Kay (UNC, 10.76 UTR) def. #22 Caroline Brinson (UGA, 11.32 UTR), 1-6, 6-1, 6-3
3. #68 Jessie Aney (UNC, 11.20 UTR) def. #82 Silvia Garcia (UGA, 11.10 UTR), 6-0, 6-4
4. #109 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA, 11.33 UTR) def. Kate Vialle (UNC, 10.54 UTR), 6-1, 6-2
5. Mariana Gould (UGA, 10.50 UTR) def. Marika Akkerman (UNC, 10.81 UTR), 7-6(7-3), 6-2
6. #112 Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC, 10.58 UTR) def. Laura Patterson (UGA, 10.05 UTR), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
Order of Finish: 4, 3, 2, 5, 6*

Consolation Matches
No. 7 Miami, 4 No. 6 Oklahoma State 3
Texas Tech 4, Alabama 1
No. 1 Vanderbilt 4, Virginia 0
Duke 4, No. 5 Texas A&M 0
Fresno State 4, Wisconsin 1
Michigan 4, LSU 2

Day 4 Predictions

Championship

No. 3 North Carolina def.  No. 4 California 4-3

This is the third consecutive day where I said Cal would fall, but the Tar Heel lineup and doubles prowess they hold will be just enough to cover. Hayley Carter vs. Maegan Manasse can be a popcorn match, but the middle of the lineup will decide the champion in my opinion. The No.3 line between Aney and Chi is the one that could go either way and affect the team result. Below are my predictions based on today's lineups. Aney and Vialle may swap if they use the Master Lineup. Should Aney play Starr, I would choose Aney and Chi over Vialle.

North Carolina vs. California
1. #2 Carter/Kay (UNC) vs. #3 Manasse/Starr (CAL)

2. #16 Aney/Vialle (UNC) vs. #43 Fabikova/Hauger (CAL) 

3. Dai/Ouellet-Pizer (UNC) vs. Chi/Smith (CAL)

1. #6 Hayley Carter (UNC, 11.73 UTR) vs. #5 Maegan Manasse (CAL, 11.65 UTR)

2. #88 Whitney Kay (UNC, 10.76 UTR) vs. #10 Klara Fabikova (CAL, 11.40 UTR)

3. #68 Jessie Aney (UNC, 11.20 UTR) vs. Lynn Chi (CAL, 11.25 UTR)

4. Kate Vialle (UNC, 10.54 UTR) vs. Denise Starr (CAL, 11.23 UTR)

5. Marika Akkerman (UNC, 10.81 UTR) vs. #81 Olivia Hauger (CAL, 11.01 UTR) 

6. #112 Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC, 10.58 UTR) vs. Karla Popovic (CAL, 10.60 UTR) 

You can visit Wisconsin's home page for the National Team Indoors here.