No.-42 N.C. State (13-9, 4-8 ACC) saved its best performance of the year for Senior Day as it defeated No.-18 Duke 5-2 on Saturday at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center. Duke (10-8, 5-5 ACC) is the highest-ranked opponent the Wolfpack has ever beaten. The win was also the first for the Pack over Duke in school history.
State honored seniors Allison Barry, Lauren Barry and Agustina Arechavaleta before the match. Once the tennis match started, the Pack came out strong and took the doubles point by winning two of the three doubles matches. The team then won four of the six singles matches to clinch the victory.
“We are dedicating this match to the three seniors today on our Senior Day,” assistant coach Mait DuBois said. “If anybody deserves it, it’s definitely them.”
The doubles team of freshman Daria Petrovic and sophomore Alejandra Guerra defeated the No.-5 doubles team in the nation to secure the doubles point after freshman Kate Green and junior Julia Roach won their match. DuBois said he was very happy with the team’s performance as it picked up the big win.
“I feel great about today,” DuBois said. “Our doubles is getting better and better with every match. Our team has really been knocking on the door the last few matches and really playing as well as anybody in the country. Today we just had that little extra push over the hump. The whole team stepped up today.”
The seniors said the impressive performance by the team was even better because it happened on such a special day.
“Today was amazing,” Lauren Barry said. “Everyone was ready to compete, and everyone competed hard and left it all out there when they played.”
Arechavaleta echoed Barry, saying it was a great day for the Pack.
“This was a really special day,” she said. “Right from the beginning, we came out really strong. We took care of things we needed to do, and it was great.”
The veterans also said Senior Day was an excellent opportunity to look back on their careers and remember their time with the team.
“Today has been unbelievable,” Allison Barry said. “It’s really a time to take a step back and be thankful for everything; all the experiences and all the friendships I’ve made. Today was really special for me.”
Her sister, Lauren, said her time at State has gone by fast.
“I have so many wonderful friends and great memories I’m going to take along with me,” Lauren Barry said. “It’s been a great experience.”
The win on Saturday was the last regular season match for the team this year. The Pack will face Virginia in the first round of the ACC tournament this week. Allison Barry said the team feels good going into the tournament.
“As long as we keep this fire and this passion alive, we’ll be fine,” Barry said “With this group of girls on the team, that’s no problem; everyone is naturally competitive. With everyone’s heart in the right spot, we’ll be strong going into ACCs.”
