Just after a shocking 4-3 loss to Syracuse, No. 8 NC State women’s tennis made its way back into the win column with a 5-2 win over Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
NC State had no time to reflect on its upset loss from Friday. But even with the Eagles (6-8, 1-6 ACC) doing their best to hand the Wolfpack (14-4, 4-1 ACC) its second-straight defeat of the weekend, NC State rallied and downed Boston College with a doubles round win and four singles victories.
Early on, the red-and-white replicated its doubles win from its previous match with two succinct and similar victories. Freshman Gabriella Broadfoot and senior Abigail Rencheli toppled their opponents 6-1 on court three. Just after, senior Sophie Abrams and sophomore Anna Zyryanova won 6-1 on court one to put the Pack up 1-0.
While the Pack fell apart in singles in its previous match, suffering a reverse sweep after being up 3-0, NC State made sure to put its opponents away in Chestnut Hill by winning the first four singles matches to clinch the bout at 4-0. The Eagles won two out of the final three singles matches, but by then, the Wolfpack had completed its win.
Senior Gina Dittmann started the singles round off by doubling the Pack’s lead with the first of five straight-set singles matches of the afternoon. With a dominant second set, Dittmann beat Boston College’s Tola Glowacka 6-4, 6-0 on court four.
Next to her, Zyryanova avenged her singles loss from her previous match with a quick straight-sets win on court three. Winning 6-2, 6-1, Zyryanova put the Wolfpack in clinch position at 3-0.
Refusing to waver at 3-0 again, star senior Amelia Rajecki knocked off her opponent on court one after battling through a tough second set. She rebounded after her loss on Friday with a 6-1, 7-5 win to clinch NC State’s fourth conference win of the season.
However, Boston College was determined to get on the board and did just that with back-to-back singles wins on courts five and six. First, the Eagles beat freshman Maddy Zampardo 6-2, 6-1 on court five, then toppled freshman Kristina Paskauskas 7-5, 6-3 on court six.
With the match at 4-2, Rencheli found herself on the final court, battling in a back-and-forth three-set match — the only one of the day. After falling narrowly in her first set, Rencheli blew by her opponent in the second. With a third-set superbreaker to decide the match, Rencheli edged out her opponent with a 10-8 win in the breaker for a final decision of 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (10-8).
After the 5-2 win in Massachusetts, NC State is set to return to Raleigh for its highly anticipated rivalry weekend where the Wolfpack is set to face off against UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke.
First serve against the Tar Heels is set for Friday, March 22, at 4 p.m. at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center in Raleigh.
