CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – “Good to Great” is a common phrase in athletics. It can be used as an individual motivator or as a team mindset. The phrase can speak to an individual or to an entire program. The phrase resonates with everyone involved, from the top to the bottom, down the line, everyone understands what the phrase boils down to: Raise the bar and set a new standard. Once a phrase like this is adopted by an individual or a team, it is said often, reflected on, re-emphasized and engrained into a team’s culture…hopefully.
What if such a phrase isn’t necessary? What if a motivating phrase isn’t used, needed, or thought of and growth happens naturally?
You would see something that looks like the North Carolina women’s tennis team.
Since head coach Brian Kalbas was hired in the summer of 2003, the Tar Heels have consistently climbed to the upper-echelon of collegiate tennis.
Between the fall of 2003 and the spring of 2022, North Carolina recorded a 497-101 overall record, three ITA Fall singles champions, two ITA Fall doubles champions, six ITA Indoor national team titles, six ACC titles, twelve NCAA team championship quarterfinals, five NCAA team championship semifinals, and a national runner-up finish at the 2014 NCAA team championship.
Despite being good, UNC had to be the last team standing in May to be considered great.
Entering September of 2022, the Tar Heels were looking to once again regroup and refocus in order to make another run at the program’s first title. UNC was coming off an impressive 28-3 season but had fallen to Texas in the NCAA semifinals and no Tar Heels had made an appearance in the singles or doubles championship finals.
UNC was bringing back multiple starters with a plethora of wins, titles and experience. In addition, Carolina was adding the top-rated freshman in the country, Reese Brantmeier, to its lineup.
In November of 2022, the climb to greatness began.
North Carolina rolled through its fall schedule, ultimately winning the ITA Fall singles championship and finished as the runners-up in the doubles championship. The Tar Heels were one match away from becoming the first team to sweep the prestigious ITA Fall Championships since 2001.
Reaching greatness was something the team could now see coming into focus.
Entering the indoor season in January, UNC was ranked…
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