NC State men’s tennis captured its fourth-straight win of the season on Sunday, March 5 in Atlanta, defeating Georgia Tech 4-2 with some impressive singles play.
Just two days after the Wolfpack’s first ACC win of the 2023 campaign, NC State (8-4, 2-0 ACC) continued its strong form against the Yellow Jackets (9-7, 0-2 ACC) by easily claiming the doubles point and winning three singles matches.
The red-and-white came out swinging in doubles, only losing a total of three games in the matches it won during the round. First, redshirt sophomore Braden Shick and sophomore Fons Van Sambeek beat their opponents 6-2 on court three and were followed by the No. 50 pair of senior Robin Catry and Luca Staeheli’s 6-1 win on court two.
After the Wolfpack dismantled Georgia Tech in doubles, the Yellow Jackets responded accordingly, taking the first two singles matches of the day to gain a 2-1 lead. Both No. 75 fifth-year senior Rafa Izquierdo Luque and sophomore Damien Salvestre lost in straight-sets on their respective courts, putting the Pack on its heels.
However, NC State doubled down in singles, winning three-straight matches to clinch the overall win. First, Shick cruised through his ranked opponent 6-2, 6-2 on court three, knotting the score at 2-2.
After Shick’s win, Staeheli and Van Sambeek sealed the deal with two more strong wins on courts four and six, respectively. Staeheli blanked his opponent in his first set and eventually won 6-0, 6-4 while Van Sambeek shut down his Yellow Jacket opposition 6-2, 6-4, clinching the match at 4-2. With play stopped, only Catry’s match was left unfinished — right when the senior was at the beginning of his third set.
Like the Wolfpack’s most recent victories, Shick, Staeheli and Van Sambeek once again proved dependable in both singles and doubles. There’s no doubt that those younger players, among others, have certainly proved their worth to the team this season, especially in the last few weeks with the Pack riding its newfound win streak.
Next, NC State is set to face Miami on Friday, March 10 in Raleigh at 5:30 p.m.
