After playing nine-straight matches against top-25 opponents, including eight-straight away from home, No. 9 NC State women’s tennis finally got a break from the gauntlet.
Putting the hammer down on Florida State (4-8), the Wolfpack (10-4) took four points and didn’t drop a single set en route to clinching the win over the Seminoles. With the weather app reading 82 degrees and sunny, Mother Nature gave the Pack got a taste of the heat — a feature of life in the state of Florida — and the Pack gave Forida State a taste of high level tennis, decimating the Seminoles in a robotic fashion.
“Not brilliant tennis, but it was relatively workman-like,” said head coach Simon Earnshaw.
The Pack took advantage of the opportunity to play at home, having not played at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center since Jan. 27.
“We had our home fans, I was able to sleep in my own bed,” said No. 41 sophomore Mia Slama. “It makes a difference.”
Taking on Florida State’s only ranked player, No. 125 Eva Shaw, Slama looked poised throughout the match, winning 6-1, 6-3. With wins in the indoor season versus Michigan’s No. 15 Lily Jones and Florida’s No. 76 Valery Gynina, and having faced UNC’s No. 7 Ange Oby Kajuru, Auburn’s No. 33 DJ Bennett and multiple other top ranked players, Slama on Court 1 had a lighter task at hand.
“Playing outside is definitely something completely different,” Slama said. “But I approach every match the same, whether we play No. 1 ranked Georgia or Florida State, both are the same. You can’t underestimate anyone.”
Also getting it done in a quick manner was No. 66 senior Anna Zyryanova, who laid into FSU’s Cade Cricchio 6-0, 6-2 to move to 8-3 in the spring.
Following suit, junior Jasmine Conway won in straight sets versus Lauren Anderson 6-3, 6-0 as she moved to 12-2 in the spring, having played all of her matches on Court 6.
Despite almost all of the remaining matches being near complete with the Wolfpack holding the edge, play halted as the Pack clinched the team victory, somewhat to the dismay of Earnshaw.
“I mean, we had 10 years with CI’s play, and now it’s CI Clinch,” Earnshaw said. “We could’ve finished this match in 10 more minutes. That’s the issue. It kind of takes the edge off a bit for some players. Air comes out a bit deflated.”
Also on strong trajectories to victory were No. 35 junior Gabriella Broadfoot who led 6-2, 5-4, freshman Victoria Osuigwe who led 6-3, 4-1 and No. 29 freshman Lavinia Tanasie who led 6-4, 2-1.
Before the onslaught in the singles, the Pack took the doubles point in easy fashion, with the combo of Slama and Tanasie winning 6-0, and the reigning ACC Doubles Team of the Week No. 2 Broadfoot and Osuigwe winning 6-4 to move to 10-2 in the spring on Court 1.
The Pack is battle tested, and despite the four losses, looks like a tremendous force headed for national contention. Having lost only to No. 3 UNC, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 LSU and No. 5 Auburn, the Pack can swing it with the best of them.
“I don’t think we have [a ceiling],” Slama said. “I think we could be No. 1. We just need to keep being aggressive and stay together, and trust that we have each other’s backs if one day, we’re not playing well.”
The Pack will have another chance to prove its might as it hosts No. 39 Miami Sunday, March 8 at 1 p.m.
And guess what? The athletics department might be giving away slinkies.
