The NC State women’s tennis team earned a double-bye in the ACC Tournament by virtue of its stellar season. The Pack is the No. 4 seed in the bracket, with UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke and Florida State rounding out the top 3.

NC State had a strong regular season, as the Pack went 22-5 overall and 11-3 in ACC play. The team’s three ACC losses were against the top-three teams in the ACC during the regular season. However, the losses were close as the largest margin of defeat was 5-2. The match against FSU in particular was an exciting battle that came down to tiebreakers in the final set.

NC State faces an uphill battle to win the tournament, as UNC and Duke are incredibly tough opponents, as they are ranked No. 1 and No. 4, respectively, in the ITA rankings, while FSU sits at No. 12. However, NC State is also a top-10 squad as it is ranked ninth. Regardless of the finish in the ACC Tournament, the Pack had one of its best seasons ever; the team’s No. 9 ranking was its best in school history. 

If NC State is to win the ACC title, it will be on the backs of its stars. Junior Anna Rogers has had a phenomenal season, ranking as the eighth-best player in the country, while freshman Alana Smith and junior Adriana Reami are also nationally ranked. The team also has a strong group of seniors in Claudia Wiktorin, Bianca Moldovan and Amanda Rebol.

Winning the doubles point is also a key for the Pack. While the doubles matches don’t carry as much weight as the singles matches, winning the doubles point can easily be the difference between victory and defeat, especially in matches with evenly matched singles opponents. NC State boasts a powerful doubles duo in Rogers and Smith, the ninth-ranked doubles team in the country.

The Wolfpack will take the court first on April 19 in Cary, where it will take on either Virginia Tech, Clemson or Miami in the quarterfinals depending on how the previous matches play out. Should the Pack win, it will likely play UNC in the semifinals, barring a major upset.