NC State women’s tennis kicked off its fall slate of action by sending four players to the Wahoowa Invitational in Charlottesville, Virginia. The three-day competition from Sept. 16-18 was the first chance for new faces and returning players to officially get on the courts this season.
It’s hard to argue that NC State did not have its best season in program history in 2022. After earning a program-best No. 2 national ranking and staying there for a majority of the season, the red-and-white capped off the already impressive season with the first national championship win in program history when Jaeda Daniel and current fifth year Nell Miller won the NCAA doubles championship.
Miller was one of four NC State players that competed in the invitational, with juniors and team vets Amelia Rajecki and Sophie Abrams also taking to the courts. Junior Gina Dittman, a transfer from Northern Arizona, was the only newcomer to compete for the Wolfpack. All four made their season debuts, playing both singles and doubles.
The doubles action included the pairings of Abrams/Dittman and Rajecki/Miller each going 2-2. Abrams and Dittman beat duos from Princeton and LSU 6-1 each but lost 6-0 to Virginia and 7-5 to LSU’s other representatives. Rajecki and Miller fared similarly to Abrams and Dittman, strongly beating another pair from Princeton 6-3 and competitors from UVA 6-1. Rajecki and Miller lost their other matches, however, by scores of 6-4 and 6-2.
With these doubles pairings most likely being temporary, we may see the combo of Abrams and Dittman in the future, especially with the departure of Priska Nugroho, Abrams’ standout doubles partner and singles specialist in the 2022 season. Even though she didn’t compete, junior Abigail Rencheli most likely won’t be split up from her doubles partner, Rajecki, as the two proved to be a fearsome combo in the previous season.
The singles competition saw each member play numerous matches. Dittman went 1-2 over the course of the weekend, picking up a strong 6-3, 6-2 victory against Grace Joyce of Princeton.
Meanwhile, Abrams went 2-2, picking up quick victories against Auburn’s Anastasia Astakhova and Maia Sung of Princeton.
Miller went 1-2 during the invitational, picking up an extremely close 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-7) win against UVA’s Melodie Collard that was decided via tiebreak. Rajecki also went 1-2 but earned a ranked win against No. 94 Safiya Carrington, beating the LSU representative 6-4, 6-3.
There’s still much more to be seen from the women’s tennis team this fall before the squad’s season begins in the spring, but we obtained a glimpse into the team’s chemistry and composition at the Wahoowa Invitational.
Next, the Pack will return to the Raleigh area for its next competition at the College Ranked Spotlight at Cary Tennis Park from Sept. 22-25.
