The No. 12 NC State women’s tennis team won big this weekend, taking a pair of matches over Old Dominion and No. 21 Tennessee to bring its record to 5-1. On Friday, the Pack didn’t play its best game but it ultimately came away with a 6-1 win over Old Dominion. It followed that up with another 6-1 win on Saturday over No. 21 Tennessee. Head coach Simon Earnshaw told NC State Athletics the team’s win over Tennessee was probably its best performance of the season.
While NC State came away with a big win on paper, the team was anything but its best against Old Dominion. All but one doubles and one singles match were highly contested. However, the first doubles match, and first match of the day to finish, was a fantastic result for the Wolfpack. Sophomore Lana Mavor and freshman Amelia Rajecki dominated their doubles opponent 6-0. Leaving the Wolfpack only needing one of the two remaining doubles matches to go its way to take the doubles point. The win came its way in the next match to finish. In what was the highest-rated pairing of the day. No. 2 fifth-year Anna Rogers and junior Alana Smith took down the No. 8-ranked doubles pair in the nation 6-4 and secured the doubles point for NC State.
Singles play saw a similar result for the Pack. Only two matches were won in straight sets by the Wolfpack. No. 35 Rogers and No. 38 fifth-year Adriana Reami won their matches 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3, 6-4, respectively. The next match to finish would seal the win for NC State, but it would not come quickly. Senior Jaeda Daniel was the one to secure the team victory in the next match to finish. Daniel was able to pull out the match after dropping the first set, winning the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. NC State continued to play in close matches after the win was secured. The Wolfpack’s final three singles matches went into the third set. Old Dominion was able to seize the opportunity and grabbed one singles match to avoid the shutout.
Despite the same result, NC State clearly played better against a superior opponent when it took the court Saturday. The doubles point was secured by the Wolfpack after it was able to grab the final doubles match after splitting the first two with Tennessee. No. 16 Daniel and Reami came up clutch for the Pack, winning their match 6-4 with the doubles point on the line.
The Wolfpack left nothing to chance in singles play. Its top three ranked singles players, Reami, Rogers, and Smith, all won their matches in straight sets to secure the victory for the Pack. The overwhelming performance was especially impressive given the competition. Reami and Smith both took down ranked singles players. Senior Lexi Kerberle also beat a ranked opponent in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. At the end of singles play, the Pack won five of six singles matches in straight sets and took its only loss of the day via a third-set tiebreaker.
NC State has only one match in the upcoming weekend. The Wolfpack will open up ACC play on the road against Wake Forest on Feb. 20. The Pack will surely be looking to carry some of its momentum from its big win over Tennessee into the start of conference play.
