After an eight-match win streak, the red-hot No. 5 NC State women’s tennis team was upset by No. 18 Miami in Coral Gables, Florida via a tense 4-3 decision.
The Wolfpack (10-2, 3-1 ACC) and Hurricanes (8-2, 3-1 ACC) went blow-for-blow from beginning to end in the ranked ACC matchup, and even though NC State took its opponent to the death, Miami pulled out the deciding win on court six for the victory.
Tied at 3-3, it was anyone’s match in the final stretch. However, after splitting her first two sets, junior Gina Dittmann ultimately fell 6-4 in her all-important, match-deciding third set. With Dittmann defeated, Miami clinched the close win 4-3.
Early on, NC State got out to a 1-0 lead thanks to its always-impressive doubles play. The No. 18-ranked pair of freshman Diana Shnaider and graduate student Alana Smith toppled their opponents 6-3, while the No. 9-ranked pair of fifth-year senior Nell Miller and junior Amelia Rajecki won 6-3 as well.
However, Miami got one back on the Wolfpack one match into the singles round with the Hurricanes’ No. 13 Alexa Noel beating the red-and-white’s No. 35 Shnaider on court one in straight sets.
The two teams trading blows didn’t stop there, though, and they carried on throughout the entire match. Next, NC State retook the lead thanks to No. 9 Smith’s smooth 6-3, 6-2 win on court two. Right after, however, Miami tied it again with its win on court five over No. 123 junior Sophie Abrams, then took its first lead of the day with its three-set win over No. 18 Rajecki.
The Wolfpack took its final point of the day on court four thanks to No. 55 junior Abigail Rencheli’s clutch win. With Miami set to clinch, she stayed cool and took her opponent down 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, knotting the match up at 3-3. But shortly after, the Hurricanes had the last laugh over Dittmann on court six, sealing the Wolfpack’s fate.
After the nail-biter in Coral Gables, NC State is set to make the second stop on its five-match road trip, traveling across the state to Tallahassee to take on Florida State. The Wolfpack’s match with the Seminoles is set for Sunday, March 12 at noon.
