After a break from play and with plenty of time to prepare, NC State men’s tennis is just mere days away from its highly anticipated clash with No. 4 Michigan at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center in Raleigh.
There’s no doubt the Wolfpack has had this one circled on the calendar from the very beginning of the season — and for good reason. On top of being one of the best athletic programs in the nation, the undefeated Wolverines tote a perennially great men’s tennis team that poses a serious threat to the 3-3 Wolfpack.
However, the red-and-white got the better of the blue-and-gold in their last outing, beating Michigan 4-3 three seasons ago in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The 8-0 Wolverines, who have already won four ranked matches this season, will be hungry for revenge.
“[Michigan] is a very good team, a very put-together team,” said head coach Kyle Spencer. “I’ve got a lot of respect for what they’ve been able to do the last few years. I’m sure they’ll be wanting a little revenge since last time we were up there we got them last match on — just a very well-coached team.”
While Michigan is fresh off three straight ranked wins, NC State is still looking for its first of the kind this season, especially after falling 4-0 to No. 8 South Carolina in the ITA Kickoff Weekend. This heightens the stakes for this weekend’s match even more for the Pack. With more than a week of rest, though, NC State has gotten back to basics in practice and is gearing up for its toughest opponent yet.
“We’ve actually had 10 days off,” Spencer said. “Last week was getting back to a lot of the fundamentals, and then this week we’re just sharpening, getting ready for match-type situations.”
With a 6 p.m. start time on Friday, Feb. 10, the nonconference match is shaping up to be the biggest of the season so far. With NC State already drawing large crowds that create an electric match-day atmosphere, this one is set to be the biggest and loudest yet.
“The more people, the louder it is, the more fun it is for our team, but I think for both teams to play,” Spencer said. “When there’s a great atmosphere, you usually get great tennis.”
Just because it’ll be a packed house on Friday night doesn’t mean NC State is confirmed to pull off the upset, especially after losing three of its last four matches. Beating Michigan will be a tall task, but one that could be accomplished with some near-perfect play from the Pack’s talented and growing lineup.
Two players of that lineup, sophomore Fons Van Sambeek and redshirt sophomore Braden Shick, were part of NC State’s talented group of newcomers last season and have both grown into impressive and important players for the Wolfpack.
“If you look at somebody like Fons and Braden, their progression of understanding what it takes to be competitive in the dual-match format,” Spencer said. “To me, those two guys and their essence of being able to handle the big match situations [is impressive].”
Another player in that group, junior Luca Staeheli, has also impressed for the Pack. Always bringing a strong level of play in every contest, Staeheli is a force to be reckoned with for any team.
“Luca has been fantastic,” Spencer said. “He’s just one of those consummate professionals, always giving his best and setting a standard that his opponent has to match, which is what we want.”
No matter how good Staeheli, Shick, Van Sambeek and others have been, it’ll be all hands on deck for the Pack this weekend against the Wolverines. While it’s a tough task to be sure, NC State has the chance to show its skill against one of the best teams in the country, bringing an electric and energetic environment no matter the outcome.
