So far, the NC State men’s tennis season has not gone according to plan. The Pack started the season ranked No. 8 in the nation. Now, it has fallen to No. 16 after a pair of losses to top-15 teams. The Wolfpack looked much better in an extremely tight loss against No. 12 Georgia than in its first ranked matchup against No. 10 Tennessee.
However, NC State is at a ranking where it expects wins in marquee matchups, not to just compete. Now the team must look ahead to February where it will get in a couple more nonconference matchups before starting ACC play.
The Wolfpack will start off the month at home against UNC Charlotte. NC State has historically fared well against Charlotte, going 7-0 all time. However, this is not a team that can be overlooked. UNCC had a close 4-3 loss against No. 21 South Carolina and has gone 3-0 versus unranked opponents this season. This should be a good chance to grab NC State’s second win of the season, but UNC Charlotte isn’t going to hand it a victory.
The Wolfpack will wrap up that weekend with a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee to face off against Tennessee for the second time this season. Tennessee is a good team and has already beaten NC State 4-1 this season. The Volunteers are 7-0 with two victories over ranked opponents. Its players don’t jump off the page, with only one singles player or doubles pair ranked inside the top 60, but its record and previous matchup prove it will not be an easy matchup for the Wolfpack.
After a weekend off, the Wolfpack begins ACC play with a pair of home matches against Louisville and Notre Dame. Not much can be said about the way Louisville has played thus far. The Cardinals swept Dayton in two matches to start the season but have not played since those wins. The Wolfpack should have a better idea how it will match up against Louisville before the two teams meet. The Cardinals are set to take on No. 19 Kentucky and No. 25 Alabama before its match with the Wolfpack.
The Pack will wrap up its weekend against Notre Dame. This is another match that should be very winnable for NC State. Notre Dame has not played well as of late. In its last four matches, Notre Dame has lost to Ball State, swept Cleveland State and been swept against No. 10 Tennessee and No. 19 Kentucky. Despite the early-season struggles, the Fighting Irish have some very talented players at the top of their roster. It has the No. 6-ranked singles player and the No. 19-ranked doubles pair. However, Notre Dame lacks depth, as those are the only ranked players on the roster.
To wrap up February, the Wolfpack stays at home for matchups against No. 7 Virginia and Virginia Tech. NC State starts its weekend against Virginia. As a team ranked in the top 10, Virginia doesn’t lack star power or depth. The Cavaliers already have one top-10 victory against Ohio State under its belt. This match should be one of the toughest tests that NC State will face in its regular season
Virginia Tech doesn’t quite have the rankings of Virginia, but it certainly is not going to roll over for NC State. Virginia Tech went the distance with No. 2 UNC, narrowly losing 4-3, and will take on a pair of top-20 opponents to further prove itself before taking on the Wolfpack. This will be a tough weekend, but it could solidify NC State as one of the best teams in the ACC if the Pack came away with a pair of wins.
