CARY, N.C. — Singles Court 1 seemed like a sure loss for NC State. Reigning NCAA singles champion Reese Brantmeier stood like Hercules in front of Wolfpack sophomore Mia Slama.
After Brantmeier took the first set 6-4, the best course of action for any sound-minded spectator was to move on to a different court, as there were plenty of close matches.
As the ACC Tournament semifinal was tipping in the direction of No. 2 seed UNC-Chapel Hill after the Pack got off to a hot 3-0 start, NC State needed a hero.
The Wolfpack (21-7, 10-2 ACC) had secured a tight doubles point to go up 1-0, while No. 53 junior Gabriella Broadfoot and No. 73 freshman Lavinia Tanasie grabbed straight-set victories, putting the Pack on the verge of the ACC final in a short time. North Carolina (24-3, 11-1 ACC) rallied back and almost earned a chance to win three-straight ACC Championships, but No. 43 Slama delivered a season-defining upset. She took down No. 2 Brantmeier after staving off a match point in the second-set tie-break, winning 4-6, 7-6(9), 7-5.
“I can’t even put it into words,” Slama said. “I’m honestly so proud of myself and our team, and how much work we’ve put in. And we knew it was gonna be really tough. We knew we’d have to go the long stretch, and I think we can all hand it to ourselves that we did.”
While Slama was battling on Court 1, freshman Victoria Osuigwe found herself on the verge of clinching. Facing transfer Maddy Zampardo, who spent her first two years of college at NC State, Osuigwe had the chance to get payback. She was on the verge as she led the third-set tie-break 5-4, but Slama closed the deal first.
“Once it was just me and Tori, I had faith that if I hadn’t done it, she would have,” Slama said. “… With all of the fans and everything, all I was hearing was ‘Wolf Pack’ and ‘Tar Heels’ and everything. The energy was just so high from the beginning.”
Osuigwe herself fought off two match points, not letting No. 121 Zampardo get a point against her old team.
“The girls were motivated today,” Earnshaw said. “When you’re playing against a ghost transfer, it does wonders for your motivation.”
Their level of motivation became clear early as the No. 4 ranked doubles pairing of Osuigwe and Broadfoot dominated No. 7 Ange Oby Kajuru and Susanna Maltby on Court 1, 6-2. More importantly, No. 79 senior Anna Zyryanova and junior Jasmine Conway defeated No. 5 Brantmeier and Alanis Hamilton in an intense 7-5 upset-win.
“UNC doesn’t lose many doubles points,” Earnshaw said. “But, I feel like, the way they played it, it was a little bit confusing, actually. Brantmeier and Hamilton were the No. 1 team in the nation last year. They put him in there at Court 2, so it’s like, okay, well, let’s just get No. 1 taken care of.”
Well, the Pack took care of No. 2 doubles as well.
With her win over No. 118 Hamilton (6-3, 6-4) on Court 4, Tanasie has now won eight matches in a row, plus an unfinished result that she was on the way to closing out.
Beating No. 36 Tatum Evans 6-4, 6-4 on Court 3, Broadfoot claimed her fourth ranked win of the duel season. When Broadfoot puts it all together, she is a force to be reckoned with, utilizing a powerful serve and prowess at the net. Despite moving down a few spots in the lineup over the course of the season, she has the game to be a winner for NC State.
“It doesn’t matter when you play on the best teams, the top 3 are all good,” Earnshaw said. “In fact, everybody’s good. So this is your time… that’s a big one for [Broadfoot] to get”.
The win over UNC is massive for the Wolfpack, and it’s not just about the rivalry. The Heels are ranked in eight of nine lineup spots, including two top-15 singles players and doubles players. Comparatively, NC State has six ranked spots. It got over the hump in a close match — an area that the Wolfpack has struggled this season, falling in close games to Duke and Virginia recently.
“Eventually, you’re just gonna have to win one,” Earnshaw said. “We can’t keep losing these types of matches.”
With an ACC Championship on the line, the Pack takes on No. 1 seed Virginia Sunday, April 19, with a 2 p.m. start time at Cary Tennis Park.
