After dropping its last two matches in losses to No. 8 Duke and No. 1 UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State women’s tennis desperately needed a rebound win, especially with the postseason rapidly approaching.
On Monday, April 10, the No. 7 Wolfpack got that win and more in its dominating 5-2 victory over No. 11 Texas in Raleigh.
“UNC and Duke were a tough couple of matches,” said junior Abigail Rencheli. “But I’m really proud of the team for being able to bounce back and get it together. The good thing about college matches is that there’s always another match after.”
The win not only stopped the squad’s two-match skid, but reaffirmed the sky-high potential of NC State’s full lineup. After a hard-fought battle for the doubles point, the Wolfpack (18-4, 8-3 ACC) dusted the Longhorns (17-4) in singles by winning all six first sets and clinching the match at 4-0.
Before singles, however, the Wolfpack clinched the doubles round with wins on courts three and one. First, Rencheli and junior Sophie Abrams cruised to a 6-1 win on three, but Texas made it much more difficult for the Pack on the other two courts. Ultimately, though, the No. 10 pair of freshman Diana Shnaider and graduate student Alana Smith got it done on one, and Shnaider finished off the pair’s 7-5 win with an emphatic slam at the net.
But once singles rolled around, it was really NC State’s time to shine. The Wolfpack made a statement by taking every first set on the day, a feat that’s all the more impressive considering the talent of Texas’ squad.
“We made a great start, that might have been one of our best starts in singles, irrespective of opponent, the whole year,” said head coach Simon Earnshaw. “It was our best first set phase that we’ve had all season.”
The first to capitalize on that momentum was No. 13 Smith, who rolled her ranked opponent 6-2, 6-0 to make it 2-0 in terms of match score.
Next, No. 65 Rencheli followed Smith’s straight-set win with one of her own, winning court four via a 6-2, 6-3 decision. Right behind her was No. 18 Shnaider on court one, who earned a hard-fought, 6-3, 7-5 win to clinch the match at 4-0.
The Wolfpack’s final win came from No. 28 junior Amelia Rajecki on court three, who won NC State’s only three-set match of the day. After splitting the first two sets, Rajecki ran away with her match-deciding superbreaker, 10-7. However, Texas took the two remaining three-setters for its two wins on the day. Both junior Gina Dittmann and Abrams took their opponents down to the wire on those two courts, but they fell in their superbreakers, making the final score 5-2.
Even though the red-and-white’s momentum stalled towards the end, its singles start and overall performance bodes well for a team with only two regular season matches left.
“We really came out strong in singles — took the first six sets,” Rencheli said. “The energy was high, so when everyone’s doing really well it propels you forward and the momentum keeps going. So I think we did a great job, stayed positive and we were a team today.”
However, No. 9 Virginia presents yet another top-ranked challenge for NC State in its next match. Like the Tar Heels and Blue Devils, the Cavaliers have plagued the Pack in recent years, so the red-and-white will be chomping at the bit to get one back on Virginia.
That showdown with the Cavs is set for Friday, April 14 at 3 p.m. in Raleigh.
