The No. 6 NC State women’s tennis team started the ITA National Team Indoor Championship strong, beating the No. 14 Auburn Tigers 4-2 in the first round.
The Pack’s victory was clinched by a second-set comeback victory from graduate student Jaeda Daniel, who sent NC State through to the quarterfinals of the tournament. After going up 3-0 in match score, the Tigers threatened the Wolfpack’s early lead with a comeback of their own, cutting the lead to 3-2 late in the match.
Despite the threat of Auburn rallying, Daniel, who is nationally ranked No. 12 in singles, had other plans and put the Tigers away with her 6-2, 7-5 victory on court one. She quickly managed to win her first set, but fell 5-1 in the second set. Daniel managed to claw her way back, winning six straight games to give herself the victory and send the Pack through to the next round.
The doubles point was quickly won by NC State due to simultaneous wins by the Pack’s first two doubles courts. Sophomores Amelia Rajecki and Abigail Rencheli won first in the doubles round with a score of 6-1. Shortly after, Daniel and senior Nell Miller easily won as well, also by a score of 6-1. However, the singles matches would not prove to be as effortless as the doubles round for the Pack.
Sophomore Sophie Abrams was the first to secure victory in singles, putting the Pack up to a 2-0 lead. Abrams was able to win 6-1, 6-3 while Miller finished her victory on court four directly after Abrams, winning 6-1, 6-4, increasing the lead to 3-0. While both of the Pack’s early singles victories were without much contention, the rest of the singles courts struggled in their efforts to put the team through to the quarterfinals.
After losses on courts two and six, the Tigers quickly made it 4-2. Rencheli and Rajecki were both defeated in two sets each. Despite both sophomores putting up fights, it was down to Daniel and freshman Priska Nugroho to secure the last singles win needed for victory.
Nugroho was in the middle of her match where she also had the opportunity to clinch in a multi-set battle. However, Daniel claimed victory first on court one to send the Pack through, resulting in Nugroho’s match being left unfinished.
After yet another ranked win for the Wolfpack, it will now face the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinals, the toughest opponent the Pack has faced so far this season. Starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, the Pack will continue their bid for victory at the tournament in the heavyweight matchup.
