5. Wolfpack claws its way to a gutsy win against Irish —Feb. 21, 2020
In order to continue its five-game winning streak against the Indiana school, the Pack needed all the luck it could get against a feisty Notre Dame team. The Irish pulled off what many schools couldn’t: beating the vaunted duo of senior Anna Rogers and sophomore Alana Smith. Smith and Rogers were ranked second in the country in doubles play, their lowest ranking of the season, but their surprising loss gave the Irish a crucial doubles point going into singles play.
With the score tied 3-3, junior Lexi Keberle went the distance and won the fourth point to win the match for NC State, winning 6-7, 7-5, 6-3. The match concluded coach Simon Earnhardt’s 100th win at the helm at NC State, but most importantly, it was the 4th ranked Pack’s 14th win of the season and its first in conference play.
4. Pack adds a feather to its cap with win against rival Wake Forest — Feb. 28, 2020
NC State won eight matches in February, and its eighth and final win of the month would end up being the high water mark of the season. While more ranked wins would come this year, none of them were quite like the 4-3 decision against 12th ranked Wake Forest.
It was a performance senior Adriana Reami will likely never forget—or perhaps she will, given how short her day was. Saying 37th ranked Reami made quick work of her opponent would be putting it lightly, as Reami breezed through her singles match 6-0, 6-1.
Despite having to face the 11th best doubles pair in the country, Rogers and Smith were not only up to the challenge, they won quite comfortably, 6-2. All season long, the pairing had the chemistry and attention to detail to play like All-Americans.
With junior Jaeda Daniel, freshman Lana Mavor and junior Liz Norman chipping in, the Pack cruised to a 5-2 victory. Despite the already wide margin, the 5-2 didn’t capture just how dominant a victory it was.
3. NC State blasts 9th ranked South Carolina — Jan. 18 2020
Later in the day, State would pick up all seven points against UNC-Charlotte, but it was its first win that day that would set the tone for how special this Wolfpack team was this year. The Pack not only beat an excellent Gamecock squad, it ran them off the court.
The usual suspects, and at the time top-ranked, Rogers and Smith handed in a great performance that led to the Pack earning the doubles point against South Carolina. But what’s funny about Rogers and Smith is that they happen to be pretty good singles players as well, and their brilliance shined brightest today as 31st ranked Smith grinded out three sets 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 and 18th ranked Rogers won two quick sets 6-1, 6-4.
Norman had a great showing against South Carolina, winning her singles match 6-2, 7-5 and partnering with junior Lexi Keberle for a 6-2 doubles win.
The win over 9th ranked South Carolina was NC State’s first over a top-10 team in program history. But as the season wore on, there was evidence to suggest it wouldn’t be its last.
2. Reami and Daniel power win over 21st ranked Florida, Pack punches it’s tickets to Chicago — Jan. 26, 2020
Often overshadowed by Rogers and Smith, the 22nd ranked pair of Reami and Daniel showed why they deserved to be mentioned in the same breath as their teammates. The two earned three of the Pack’s four points against a very good 21st ranked Florida Gators team.
With doubles play split 1-1, Reami and Daniel pulled through and won a back-and-forth 7-6 decision. That excellence carried into singles play, as the 23rd ranked Reami won straight sets and Daniel followed suit with her own straight set victory.
The win over Florida concluded the ITA Kick-Off Weekend and helped the Pack qualify for the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Chicago. While in Chicago, the Pack would earn its biggest win of the year, one even bigger than its win over South Carolina.
1. Program reaches new heights with defeat of 3rd ranked Georgia — Feb. 9, 2020
Coming off a loss to 2nd ranked UNC, the Wolfpack needed to bounce back to maintain its standing as one of the best teams in the nation. But with a matchup against a talented Georgia Bulldogs team, who the Pack had never beaten, that task seemed daunting at best and nearly impossible at worst. But in the midst of an already incredible season for the program, the impossible wasn’t nearly as improbable as it seemed.
Reami played her usual game against Georgia, partnering with Daniel to win their doubles match 6-4, and winning her singles match 6-4, 6-3.
The young sophomore Smith played with a composure beyond her years. After taking care of business with her partner-in-crime Rogers in the doubles match, she won the deciding point in singles play 7-6, 6-3.
As the ball crossed the net for the final time, Smith was met with the cheers of her teammates, while Rogers rushed the court to hug her doubles partner, starting a cascade of NC State players stepping onto the court to congratulate the woman of the hour. Amongst the adulation and childlike joy, there was hope for what the rest of the season had in store. And so even though the season was cut short, there’s something to celebrate in this moment, and that’s what made it the best moment in the women’s tennis season.
