The NC State women’s tennis team has built up a head of steam in the form of a seven-game winning streak with just three games left in the regular season.
The Wolfpack (17-7, 6-5 ACC) appears to have peaked at the right time after winning nine of its last 10 matches, with the only regular season opponents being Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Louisville before the ACC Tournament begins April 26.
However, things weren’t always looking this optimistic for the Pack. After starting a stellar 8-2 heading into conference play, State dropped its first five ACC games, starting with a 5-2 loss at home against a stellar Duke team that currently holds a 15-3 (9-0 ACC) record. The team hit what seemed to be rock bottom the following week, getting shut out against archrival UNC-Chapel Hill, 7-0, another respectable team that has earned a 22-2 (8-1 ACC) record this season.
The Pack lost two more at the hands Florida State and Miami before snapping the four-game losing streak with crucial wins over Michigan State and Utah. After this, the Wolfpack lost its fifth ACC contest of the year against Virginia, 5-2, on March 17.
However, this sparked a huge turnaround for the team. Just two days following the loss to the Cavaliers, State earned its first ACC victory of the season in a 6-1 drubbing of Boston College at home. This began a seven-game winning streak that has propelled the team up the conference standings.
After handling Winthrop in a 6-1 home victory, the team set off on a weekend road trip against Notre Dame March 24 and Wake Forest March 26, both conference foes among the top in the conference with winning records. Despite this, NC State prevailed, earning an impressive 4-3 victory over the Fighting Irish, handing them just the second ACC and third overall loss of the season, and followed that up with a 5-2 win against the Demon Deacons.
This was perhaps the team’s most impactful weekend of the regular season, as it featured pivotal upsets against two of the best teams in the conference. Of NC State’s remaining three teams on its schedule, Georgia Tech (20-2, 11-0 ACC) is the only opponent with a better record than Notre Dame and Wake Forest.
The Pack’s hot streak continued, winning both home games 6-1 in each contest over Clemson and Pittsburgh. NC State capped off the seven-game winning streak with a 5-2 road victory over Syracuse.
The doubles pair of senior Martina Frantova and freshman Anna Rogers has been key for the Wolfpack, as it currently ranks 15th in the nation with a 17-1 record in doubles play on the season. The duo of sophomores Claudia Wiktorin and Bianca Moldovan has also performed well with a 15-4 doubles record on the year. These groups have been key in earning the crucial doubles point for the team to start each match.
In singles play, Rogers leads the team with a 16-6 record on the season with Moldovan close behind at 15-6. Following them are sophomore Amanda Rebol and freshman Adriana Reami, who hold records of 13-7 and 15-8, respectively. To round out the primary lineup, Wiktorin holds a 12-10 record while Frantova has garnered a 10-11 record.
NC State looks to keep its stellar winning streak alive as it faces Virginia Tech on the road Saturday at noon.
Sophomore Amanda Rebol returns a volley against opponent Daniela Ruiz at the N.C State vs Clemson tennis match at J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center on Fri. Mar. 31st, 2017. Rebol defeated opponent Ruiz after two sets scoring 6-0 and 6-2 respectively. N.C State won over Clemson scoring 6-1 and only losing one singles and one doubles match against the Tigers.
