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WTEN: Georgia (1) Falls to North Carolina (3)

The No. 1 Georgia women’s tennis team (1-1, 0-0 SEC) dropped a top-five road matchup Sunday, falling 5-2 to No. 3 North Carolina (7-0, 0-0 ACC) at the Chewning Tennis Center.

Fast Facts

• The Bulldogs fell for the first time since Apr.13, 2025, against Texas A&M.
• Georgia dropped the doubles point and the opening singles match to fall behind 2-0 early.
• Emma Dong earned her first career ranked win over the Tarheels’ No. 51 Theadora Rabman, 6-1, 7-6(5).
• No. 8 Aysegul Mert battled back from a set down to defeat North Carolina’s No. 23 Ange Oby Kajuru, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (1), on court two. The match marked the third meeting between the two this season, after they split a pair of matches during the fall.
• Anna Frey gave UNC the early momentum, defeating Georgia’s No. 50 Sofia Rojas in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
• No. 69 Alanis Hamilton bounced back from a first-set loss to overcome No. 25 Anastasiia Gureva, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, keeping UNC in control.
• Top-ranked Reese Brantmeier held her ground in a tight match, defeating Georgia’s No. 61 Anastasiia Lopata 7-6 (5), 6-4.
• Lastly, No. 35 Tatum Evans battled for a hard-fought victory over No. 15 Deniz Dilek, 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-3, sealing the win for the Tarheels.

Results
Doubles:
1. Emma Dong/Anastasiia Gureva (UGA) def. Anna Frey/Tatum Evans (UNC): 6-3
2. #3 Ange Oby Kajuru/Susanna Maltby (UNC) def. Anastasiia Lopata/Patricija Paukstyte (UGA): 6-4
3. #11 Reese Brantmeier/Alanis Hamilton (UNC) def. Deniz Dilek/Aysegul Mert (UGA): 6-3

Singles:
1. #1 Reese Brantmeier (UNC) def. #61 Anastasiia Lopata (UGA): 7-6(5), 6-4
2. #8 Aysegul Mert (UGA) def. Ange Oby Kajuru (UNC): 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(1)
3. #35 Tatum Evans (UNC) def. #15 Deniz Dilek (UGA): 7-5, (6)6-7, 6-3
4. #69 Alanis Hamilton (UNC) def. #25 Anastasiia Gureva (UGA): 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
5. Anna Frey (UNC) def. #50 Sofia Rojas (UGA): 6-4, 6-4
6. Emma Dong (UGA) def. #51 Theadora Rabman (UNC): 6-1, 7-6(5)

Order of finish: Doubles (3, 1, 2) Singles (5, 6, 4, 1, 3, 2)

Up Next
The No. 1 Bulldogs will continue on the road as they head to Evanston, Ill to compete in the 2026 ITA National Team Indoor Championships running from Feb. 6-10 at the Combe Tennis Center. Opponent and match times are TBD.

MBB: Somto Cyril was named to the 2026 Naismith Men’s College Defensive Player of the Year Watch List

Georgia men’s basketball center Somto Cyril was named to the 2026 Naismith Men’s College Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced last week. He is one of 25 players nationally to be named to the list.

A native of Enugu, Nigeria, Cyril has emerged as one of the nation’s most dominant interior defenders. He currently leads the Southeastern Conference in blocks per game and ranks second nationally at 2.9 per contest. Through 22 games this season, Cyril has recorded 60 blocked shots, the eighth-highest single-season total in Georgia history.

Cyril joined Georgia’s top-10 single-season leaders in blocks during the Bulldogs’ road contest at Texas. His defensive impact has been highlighted by two career-high performances in SEC play, including six blocks against Auburn and an eight-block outing versus Arkansas.

He is averaging 9.6 points per game while leading the Bulldogs in rebounding (6.1 rpg), blocks (2.9 bpg) and field goal percentage (.765). His 56 dunks rank second nationally and lead all SEC players by a margin of 21.

Cyril’s rise has been steady since his freshman season. In 33 games last year, he swatted 51 shots, the 11th-most in a single season by a Bulldog and the second-highest total by a Georgia freshman. Over two seasons, Cyril has accumulated 111 career blocks, which ranks 12th on Georgia’s all-time list, just eight shy of the program’s top 10.

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