The NC State men’s and women’s tennis teams came away from the weekend with losses to their highest-ranked opponents of the season.
The No. 9 Wolfpack women’s tennis team played only one match this weekend which came at No. 5 Florida State on Friday, Feb.26. It was scheduled to play a pair of road ACC matches this weekend, but its Sunday match against Miami was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test within the Hurricanes’ program.
NC State’s men’s tennis team played two home matches this weekend. It split the pair of matches, losing to No. 4 Virginia on Friday, Feb. 26 but beating Virginia Tech on Sunday, Feb. 28 to wrap up the weekend.
Women’s 5-2 loss to Florida State
NC State’s women’s tennis team finally cooled off after five straight wins, two of which came over ranked teams. The Pack lost 5-2 against a tough Florida State team.
Doubles play was tight but it left the Wolfpack with an early lead. The Wolfpack’s two ranked duos were able to pick up their doubles sets. The No. 2-ranked pair of fifth-year Anna Rogers and junior Alana Smith was the first to finish when it comfortably took its set 6-3. The doubles point came down to No. 16 senior Jaeda Daniel and fifth-year Adriana Reami after the Wolfpack lost its second doubles set. However, Reami and Daniel clinched the doubles point for NC State when they took their set in a tiebreaker 7-6 (4).
Singles play did not go the way of the Wolfpack. The team lost its first two singles matches to surrender the lead to Florida State, a lead it would never regain. After going down 2-1, the Wolfpack took its only singles match when No. 38 Reami won her match 6-2, 6-4 to tie the match at 2-2. The rest of the day was all Florida State, it took the final three singles matches over the Wolfpack to secure the 5-2 victory.
Men’s 1-1 weekend against UVA and VT
The men were able to come away from the weekend with a win over Virginia Tech, but it came up short against Virginia. This has been a trend for the team in ranked matches this season, as it is 0-4 against ranked teams on the season.
The Wolfpack didn’t get off to the start it needed against Virginia. It was swept in the doubles play to surrender the opening point despite leading the final doubles set when play was paused.
No. 7 fifth-year Alexis Galarneau got the Wolfpack back in the match when he opened up singles play with a 6-2, 7-5 victory. However, it would be the last meaningful point the Pack would claim, losing four straight singles matches before finally taking the last match of the day to salvage a pair of points out of the 5-2 loss to Virginia.
Sunday’s match against Virginia Tech would prove to be much more successful for the team. The Pack got off to a good start when it swept doubles play to take the early lead. No. 23 Galarneau and senior Robert Turzak crushed their opponents with a convincing 6-1 victory. Junior Yannai Barkai and senior Collin Shick won 6-3 shortly after to clinch the doubles point for NC State.
The Wolfpack didn’t let its foot off the gas for singles play. NC State won three straight singles matches before Virginia Tech got its first point of the day. Garlarneau, sophomore Robin Catry, and junior Rafa Izquierdo Luque all won in straight sets to clinch victory for the Pack. Virginia Tech would end up taking a pair of singles matches for a 5-2 final tally.
Next Up
The NC State women’s tennis team will take on a pair of ACC opponents at home next weekend. It will take on Clemson on Saturday, March 6, before finishing the weeknd against Georgia Tech the following day.
The men’s tennis team will face a quick turn around as it takes on No. 2 Baylor on Tuesday, March 2. The midweek match will leave the team with only one match next weekend when it travels to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to take on Boston College on Friday, March 5.
Junior Alexis Galarneau, playing first seed in singles, returns a ball during a match against the South Carolina Gamecocks at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. The Wolfpack lost 6-1 to the Gamecocks and won 7-0 against the North Carolina A&T Aggies later that day.
