NC State women’s tennis made its highly-anticipated 2023 debut at the Miami Spring Invite, taking on a slew of talented teams before the start of dual-match play. 

The three-day event consisted of No. 3 NC State, No. 1 Texas, No. 11 Miami and No. 20 Vanderbilt competing in both singles and doubles play. With plenty of chances to get some much-needed experience against ranked opposition, the Wolfpack came out and impressed, winning a majority of its matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

No matter the outcome of those matches, getting play time against some of the best teams in the country is invaluable, especially for a team with some major additions in the offseason like NC State. 

Day One

Play in paradise started with NC State facing Vanderbilt in doubles, where some new doubles pairings got their first chance to prove themselves this season. Junior Amelia Rajecki and fifth-year senior Nell Miller, who are both highly experienced doubles players, teamed up to take down their Commodore opponents 6-4, while juniors Abigail Rencheli and Sophie Abrams won 6-3.

While the team’s veteran players flourished in doubles play over the course of the weekend, NC State’s newcomers struggled to find any success in these rounds. On the first day, it was freshman Chloe Henderson and junior Gina Dittman who suffered the Pack’s only singles loss. 

Friday’s singles round was perhaps the most important of the weekend as NC State corralled the No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns, who are year-in, year-out one of the best teams in college tennis. The Wolfpack won three of its five singles matches against the nation’s best. Some of which, such as Abrams’ 6-4, 6-2 win over the No. 85 ranked Malaika Rapolu, came fairly easily. 

The red-and-white’s two other wins were not so easily earned, however. Miller won in two taxing sets, both of which went to tiebreak. Then Rajecki, who after losing her first set, stormed back in the next two to beat Texas’ Charlotte Chavatipon 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-1. 

Day Two

NC State didn’t get much of a break from the Longhorns, though, as the Pack took on Texas in doubles the next morning. Rajecki and Miller captured their second win of the weekend, beating their opponents 7-5. However, Texas got the better of NC State in doubles, even with the Wolfpack’s two remaining duos putting up quite a fight in those matches.

Saturday’s singles competition was against the hosting No. 11 Miami Hurricanes, who NC State got the better of by claiming four of six matches. However, Miami gave the Pack a run for its money by forcing five of six singles matches to three sets. The two most impressive wins of this round came from Abrams and Miller, who beat No. 60 Daevenia Achong and No. 123 Isabella Pfennig, respectively, in three sets each. 

NC State’s newcomers found their footing in this singles round. Dittman grabbed her first win of the weekend in a three-set bout over her Hurricane opponent, winning 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(1). Freshman Anna Zyryanova claimed victory in her red-and-white debut, taking down her opponent 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Day Three

NC State was pitted against Miami’s doubles lineup on the third and final day of play. Like the singles round the day prior, the Pack won a majority of its matches against its ACC rival. The pairs of Rajecki/Miller and Rencheli/Abrams each won their third doubles match in just as many days, winning 6-3 and 6-4, respectively. 

Sunday’s singles slate saw the Pack go 3-3 against Vanderbilt’s lineup. Rajecki finished off her undefeated weekend with a crushing 6-2, 6-2 win against No. 35 Bridget Stammel while Dittman won another three-set singles match 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-4. Rencheli went one-for-one in singles on the weekend as she cruised past her Commodore opponent 6-2, 6-3. 

With new doubles pairings and new players getting some crucial play time before the Pack’s first match, these matches may prove crucial to NC State’s early-season success. 

After the red-and-white’s strong showing in Miami, NC State is set to take on South Carolina on the road in its first head-to-head match of the 2023 season. First serve is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21.