Hallie Walker
(From left) Senior Robin Catry and junior Luca Staeheli celebrate scoring a point during their doubles match against Michigan at J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. The doubles match went unfinished. NC State lost 4-0 to Michigan.
NC State men’s tennis swept the Clemson Tigers 4-0 in its 2023 ACC opener on Friday, March 3.
The Pack’s second true road victory of the season came in a nearly-effortless sweep of the Tigers (9-4, 0-1 ACC). After taking the doubles point with some contention, NC State (7-4, 1-0 ACC) rolled in singles, quickly winning the three courts it needed to clinch the match.
The doubles round first saw sophomore Fons Van Sambeek and redshirt sophomore Braden Shick grab an easy 6-2 win on court three. Both players also went on to secure two of the Pack’s three singles victories. To clinch the early point, however, the No. 50 pair of junior Luca Staeheli and senior Robin Catry gutted out a 7-5 victory on court two.
Staeheli then put on a perfect performance in the singles round, dominantly blanking his opponent 6-0, 6-0 to gain the 2-0 advantage for the Wolfpack.
While NC State’s final two wins didn’t live up to Staeheli’s stellar display on court four, they were still far-cries from being contentious. Van Sambeek struck next, capping off his strong day with a 6-3, 6-3 win on court six. Finally, Shick brought the win home on court three with a 6-1, 7-5 victory, clinching the match at 4-0 and stopping play on all other courts.
No. 75 fifth-year senior Rafa Izquierdo Luque’s three-set match was stopped with him leading 2-0 in his final set, while sophomore Damien Salvestre’s three-setter was left unfinished at the beginning of his third. Meanwhile, Catry’s match was stopped towards the end of the senior’s second set.
The win over Clemson marks the Pack’s first ACC win of the season. More importantly, however, it’s NC State’s third-straight victory — a sign of a squad that is rapidly gaining momentum as it dives deeper into conference play.
The Wolfpack is set to face another ACC opponent on the road in its next match. NC State’s showdown against Georgia Tech is set for Sunday, March 5 at 12 p.m. in Atlanta.