LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Kentucky?s Sarah Foster claimed a three-set victory at No. 2 singles, but ninth-ranked North Carolina shut-out Kentucky the rest of the way, cruising to a 6-1 victory Saturday at UK?s Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.

After the Cats opened with a loss at No. 3 doubles, Kentucky rallied from behind at the one and two positions before being denied in each match. The Tar Heels never relinquished control, scoring singles victories at one, four and three to clinch the match. Foster rebounded from a first-set tiebreaker loss with a 6-4 second-set showing. The Lexington Christian Academy product pulled away in the third-set super-tiebreaker for the lone Kentucky victory.

The Cats fall to 7-4 while North Carolina improves to 6-1. Kentucky returns to action next Saturday, Feb. 21 at Purdue.

No. 9 North Carolina 6, No. 12 Kentucky 1

 Doubles 1. Cline/Mojzis (UNC) def. Schwenk/Kalsarieva (UK) ? 8-6 2. Bairos/Long (UNC) def. Coventry/Maurer (UK) ? 8-6 3. Anundsen/Collins (UNC) def. Foster/Sober (UK) ? 8-3 Singles 1. No. 34 Aniela Mojzis (UNC) def. No. 23 Aibika Kalsarieva (UK) ? 6-3, 6-3 2. Sarah Foster (UK) def. Lee Bairos (UNC) ? 6-7 (8), 6-4, 1-0 (10-6) 3. No. 65 Sara Anundsen (UNC) def. Joelle Schwenk (UK) ? 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 4. Kendall Cline (UNC) def. Lara Maurer (UK) ? 6-3, 6-3 5. No. 98 Caitlin Collins (UNC) def. Kim Coventry (UK) ? 6-2, 6-1 6. Jenna Long (UNC) def. Liis Sober (UK) ? 6-2, 6-1