Smejkalova makes first appearance as No. 14 NC State women’s tennis rolls past No. 32 SMU

Daniel Susann, Assistant Sports Editor • Mar 17, 2026

Sophomore Mia Slama pumps her fist after scoring a point during her match against Miami at Dail Outdoor Tennis Stadium on Sunday, March 8, 2026. Slama lost her singles match 7-6,6-7,5-7. NC State lost to Miami 4-3.

It was another routine victory for No. 14 Wolfpack women’s tennis, this time in Dallas, Texas as NC State dominated SMU 4-1.

Nearly everything went as you’d expect for an NC State (12-5, 5-1 ACC) squad that has been in control of its matches versus lesser competition, as the Pack secured the doubles point versus the Mustangs (10-5, 4-4 ACC) and dominated the singles courts. But one thing was out of the ordinary; sophomore Amelie Smejkalova finally got into the lineup.

Transferring from Clemson during the winter, head coach Simon Earnshaw has been working to get Smejkalova eligible for competition.

“If we can get [Smejkalova] eligible, it’s going to be a big help,” Earnshaw said Jan. 30 after NC State’s loss to No. 3 UNC. “She transferred mid-year. Normally, in college tennis, you can’t play for two teams in one year. But we believe in this cause.”

Over a month later on March 6, Earnshaw seemed discouraged about getting eligibility for the 21-year-old Czechian.

“With Amy not being eligible, and it doesn’t look like she will be,” Earnshaw said. “I mean, that whole thing is a debacle.”

But Sunday, March 16, she was in the lineup. Against the Mustangs in her first start for the Wolfpack, she played in the No. 6 spot and fell in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, facing Raleigh-born Addison Comiskey. Maybe a minor disappointment, but the result isn’t unusual for a player that hasn’t played a competition match in four months.

At Clemson, Smejkalova posted a 17-16 singles record, playing mostly in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.

Moving out of the lineup was No. 35 Gabriella Broadfoot — who normally plays in the No. 2 spot — to make room for Smejklalova. Going forward, it will be very interesting to see how Earnshaw manages the lineup, and who he decides to bench, since he probably won’t bench one of his top players. Will it be junior Jasmine Conway, who normally plays the No. 6, or freshman Victoria Osuigwe, who normally plays the No. 5? Time will tell.

On the other courts, No. 41 sophomore Mia Slama picked up a solid ranked win over No. 49 Amelie Van Impe 7-5, 6-2 on Court 1. On Court 2, No. 66 senior Anna Zyryanova also secured a ranked victory over No. 59 Sophie Llewellyn. Securing the win in three sets, Conway blanked Natalie Stasny to clinch the victory for the Pack on Court 5.

Next up, NC State continues its road trip and faces its seventh top-10 opponent of the year as it takes on No. 6 Pepperdine at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, March 19.