Seven months removed from nearly winning a national championship, No. 9 NC State women’s tennis started its 2024 campaign to win a national title with preseason play in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Weinman Foundation Invitational.
Play in paradise had NC State face off against the hosting Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, BYU Cougars and Cal Bearcats in exhibition singles and doubles matches. Veterans got their first taste of play before the highly anticipated 2024 regular season while some of the Pack’s freshmen made their unofficial debuts in the red-and-white.
Thursday, Jan. 4
NC State started off play with back-to-back doubles wins. Seniors Abigail Rencheli and Sophie Abrams dismantled their Rainbow Warrior opponents 6-4 while the freshman pair of Gabriella Broadfoot and Maddy Zampardo beat Hawaii 6-2.
While the Pack cruised in doubles, it only won one singles match on its first day. Rencheli downed her opponent after a close first set 7-6, 6-3. Meanwhile, Abrams, Broadfoot and Zampardo fell in straight sets in their first singles matches of 2024.
Friday, Jan. 5
The Wolfpack split its doubles matches with Rencheli — this time paired with senior Amelia Rajecki — winning 6-1 against BYU. Sophomore Anna Zyryanova made her first appearance of the year alongside Abrams on the way to a 6-4 win. However, the freshman duo Broadfoot and Zampardo fell despite their win the day before while junior Gina Dittmann and freshman Kristina Paskauskas fell to Hawaii 6-4.
The second day of singles in paradise went much smoother for the Pack with NC State nearly sweeping its competition. Rajecki, Abrams and Broadfoot all downed their opponents in two sets with minimal losses. Zyryanova beat her BYU opposition 6-2, 7-5 despite a testy second set while Dittmann won 6-2, 6-4 and Zampardo won 6-3, 6-2.
Rencheli grinded out a three set win after losing her first set to beat her Cougar opponent 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. The Pack’s only loss in singles came from a tough 7-6, 6-3 defeat from Paskauskas.
Saturday, Jan. 6
NC State won three out of four doubles matches on day three. Both pairs of Rencheli and Rajecki and Zyryanova and Abrams each won their second doubles match in a row. Broadfoot and Zampardo got back in the win column with a 6-4 win while Dittmann and Paskauskas fell 6-3 to BYU.
The red-and-white went 4-4 in singles on Saturday, highlighted by Zampardo’s sweeping 6-0, 6-0 victory over her Cougar opponent. Additionally, Dittmann, Broadfoot and Rajecki all won easily in straight sets.
On the other hand, Paskauskas and Abrams each lost in straight sets. Both Rencheli and Zyryanova battled hard in their respective three-set losses. Both won their first sets via tiebreak, but lost their subsequent sets to ultimately fall.
Sunday, Jan. 7
Day four of singles saw NC State once again split its doubles matches. The pairs of Broadfoot and Zampardo and Dittmann and Paskauskas easily beat their respective Cal opponents. The seasoned pair of Rencheli and Rajecki fell 6-3 while Zyryanova and Abrams lost 6-4 to the Bearcats.
The Wolfpack only won three out of eight singles matches on the final day in Hawaii. Zyryanova beat her Cal opposition in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Zampardo won 6-4, 7-6 in two tough sets while Paskauskas needed two tiebreak victories in a three-setter to rattle off her first win in the red and white.
Rencheli, Abrams, Broadfoot and Dittmann all lost in two set matches to their respective Bearcat opponents. Rajecki chipped one set off her opponent, but ultimately lost 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
NC State will start its journey back to the NCAA tournament Monday, Jan. 15 in a home match against SMU at 2 p.m.
