The saying “home is where the heart is” is just that, a saying. But every now and then, sayings take on deeper meanings.

For junior Derek Stephens, North Carolina is home, and beginning last fall, N.C. State has become home as well. After going to Tennessee for two years and performing well, Stephens decided to transfer and return to his home state to play for the Wolfpack.

“I wanted to come back in-state,” Stephens said. “I knew what kind of program it was here and I wanted to be a part of that.”

State’s coaching staff knew of Stephens even before he wanted to transfer, after recruiting him in 2004.

“We had recruited him the first time around and weren’t able to get him,” coach Jon Choboy said.

When State got a second chance to get the Matthews native back in the state, the coaching staff took advantage of the opportunity to get a solid player.

“Derek and his family contacted us last year and said they were interested in transferring,” Choboy said.

“He was interested in our program, he wanted to come closer to home. It was a good fit.”

Another important factor in getting Stephens to State was the effort of junior Jay Weinacker. Once Stephens decided to leave Tennessee, he contacted Weinacker to ask him about the Pack.

“He asked me what it was like at State,” Weinacker said. “Over several conversations I told him how we were and the direction the program was going in.”

Weinacker, who played junior tennis with Stephens, knew the Pack had an opportunity to get better by adding Stephens.

“I was really excited,” Weinacker said. “I knew how hard he worked and [I] knew he would fit in perfect here.”

After arriving at State last semester, Stephens made a definite impact on the squad. He found himself in the lineup throughout most of the fall season. Although Stephens has had some success for the Pack this spring, he recently suffered a four-match losing streak.

“Mentally I was getting down on myself, and I just got into a slump,” Stephens said. “I’m getting out of it right now.”

The “right now” for Stephens was most recently during spring break when State took on Wake Forest. After falling behind a set to Jason Morgenstern, Stephens stormed back to take the last two sets and thematch.

According to Choboy, some of the most crucial points of the match were won at the net, a place Stephens wasn’t comfortable being when he started training in the fall.

“He did make some critical, good shots at the net that he might not have made six months ago,” Choboy said. “He’s working hard.”

The hard work will continue for Stephens and the Pack over the next few days. The team will travel to Montgomery, Ala., this week to participate in the Blue/Gray Invitational, a tournament field loaded with ranked opponents.

Stephens may be out of North Carolina more than in it this week, but he’ll be back. Back in his home state, back at N.C. State, a place Stephens can’t seem to get enough of.

“It’s everything,” Stephens said. “The program is awesome. My teammates are awesome, [and] I love the people here. It’s a great atmosphere.”