After an impressive run in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships — highlighted by a quarterfinal upset over then-No. 1 UNC-Chapel Hill — NC State women’s tennis is alive and well.
Despite a loss to then-No. 5 Michigan in the semifinals, NC State is set to play the Wolverines in a rematch. Let’s break down the highlights from the ITAs in Seattle and what it all means for the red-and-white going forward.
Toppling the Tar Heels
NC State and UNC found themselves in yet another thrilling battle, this time in the ITAs. After the Pack relinquished a 3-1 lead, sophomore Anna Zyryanova battled through the highest-pressure situation of her career so far — a thrilling, back-and-forth tiebreaker to finish off the deciding third set.
With the match on the line and her teammates barely able to watch, Zyryanova heroically fought off two-straight match points to defeat UNC’s then-No. 7 Anika Yarlagadda.
“I was standing with my shirt over my eyes,” said senior Abigail Rencheli. “When she was at 7-6, she turned around and prayed, and I think I tried to pray with her. So I was like channeling it with her, but it was very, very nerve-wracking. But I’m glad she believed in herself. We believe in her, and she came through.”
Zyryanova said she didn’t realize she fought off those match points until after the fact. In possibly her best match in the red-and-white, the sophomore dug deep and delivered the killing blow.
“It’s good that the team was there for me; they were cheering and supporting after every point,” Zyryanova said. “I guess I found the right moment — I was in a moment — I was focused really well. It was one of the best matches for a long time for me, to be honest.”
Now 2-2 against UNC in the rivals’ last four matches, it seems as though NC State’s gotten the Carolina Blue-colored monkey off its back. For Rencheli and company, treating the Heels as just another team allowed NC State to knock its rivals out of the Championships in the Pack’s statement win.
“I think at this point we know we can beat UNC, and I even told some of the girls it didn’t feel like we were playing them that day,” Rencheli said. “It just felt like another match and I’m actually really happy that that’s how it’s starting to feel because at the end of the day, it’s just another team. Yeah, they’re good, but I think we’re good too.”
Preparing for Michigan — again
The Pack’s thrilling win over Carolina shocked the college tennis world, but then-No. 5 Michigan made sure it didn’t suffer the same fate. The Wolverines knocked NC State out of the ITAs on the next day with a 4-1 victory in the semifinals.
While NC State was firing on all cylinders the day prior, the Pack ran out of magic against the Wolverines. Once Michigan won the doubles and two quick singles matches, it was hard to claw back into the match.
“It’s like we were out of ideas, or we were just struggling to execute when we really needed to,” said head coach Simon Earnshaw. “We needed that little bit of impetus just to jumpstart us — we didn’t get it — but one thing you don’t want to do when you’ve gotten down after the doubles point is to give them a quick point. And unfortunately, we gave them a couple of those for whatever reason.”
However, it just so happens NC State is set to play a rematch against the ITA runner-ups in its next regular season match on Thursday, Feb. 22, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
It’s not often a team in college tennis gets to face a team in back-to-back matches. It’s less often that said team has nearly two weeks of rest, training and preparation before hitting round two. NC State has had plenty of time to reflect on its loss to the Wolverines and manifest its potential revenge.
“I think this time around, we kind of know they’re a solid team,” Rencheli said. “They’re going to fight for every point. So I think we’re just making sure we’re mentally prepared to fight for every point and making sure we’re fully recovered and physically there to kind of grind out as long as it takes.”
However, the Wolverines are likely just as motivated as the red-and-white. Michigan’s coming off back-to-back losses, one against first-time ITA Indoor Championship winners Oklahoma State and another after then-No. 17 USC upset the Wolverines 4-2 in Ann Arbor.
Now, the Wolfpack is set for a rematch in a bout against possibly the highest ranked team it’ll play for the rest of the season, making mental toughness and precise execution vital against the No. 2 Wolverines.
What’s next?
Win or lose against Michigan, NC State is set to face yet another tough road test in Oklahoma. Even though the Sooners have fallen far out of the top 25, the Wolfpack will still have to contend with a raucous crowd and an experienced college tennis program in Norman, Oklahoma.
From there, the Wolfpack’s intense travel is set to subside as conference play begins. The Pack’s home opener against No. 21 Notre Dame is scheduled for Friday, March 1. After that, NC State is slated for another throwdown with UNC to kick off rivalry weekend.
With the ITA Championships in the rearview mirror, NC State has gained valuable experience and made the necessary noise to solidify its standing as a national championship contender. But if able to knock off Michigan, the Tar Heels for a second time and the rest of its daunting ACC slate, it may just become the favorites to win the entire thing.
