After opening the season with three straight wins for the first time in 11 years, Minnesota ran into one of the nation's top women's tennis squads and suffered a 7-0 loss to North Carolina on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Gophers, who entered the weekend ranked 64th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, dropped all six singles matches in straight sets and also lost in all three doubles contests. North Carolina is ranked 17th in the latest team rankings.

Minnesota's Alessandra Ferrazzi put up a strong fight at No. 1 singles against the nation's 14th ranked player, Sanaz Marand, 6-1, 6-4. Karina Chiarelli had the tightest singles match for the Gophers with a 7-5, 6-1 loss at No. 2 to Katrina Tsang.

Chiarelli and Lindsay Risebrough fought Tsang and Jelena Durisic to a tiebreaker in their No. 2 doubles match, losing 8-6 in the tiebreaker. Ferrazzi and Alex Seaton dropped an 8-2 decision at No. 1 to the nation's eighth-ranked tandem, Marand and Sophie Grabinski.

Minnesota has another tough challenge ahead on Sunday when the Gophers take on 37th-ranked North Carolina State in Raleigh.

DOUBLES
1. #8 Marand/Sophie Grabinski (UNC) def. Ferrazzi/Seaton (UM), 8-2
2. Chiarelli/Risebrough (UM) def. Tsang/Durisic (UNC), 8-7 (6)
3. Fanjoy/Smith (UNC) def. Koprivica/Mousseau (UM), 8-1
Order of finish: 3,1,2

SINGLES
1. #14 Sanaz Marand (UNC) def. Alessandra Ferrazzi (UM), 6-1, 6-4
2. Katrina Tsang (UNC) def. Karina Chiarelli (UM), 7-5, 6-1
3. #72 Austin Smith (UNC) def. Lindsay Risebrough, 6-1, 6-2
4. Jelena Durisic (UNC) def. Danielle Mousseau (UM), 6-1, 6-1
5. Laura Reichert (UNC) def. Tijana Koprivica (UM), 6-2, 6-2
6. Meg Fanjoy (UNC) def. Jackie Sperling (UM), 6-1, 6-0
Order of finish: 4,5,6,1,3,2