Senior day came to an end with a loss in the score sheet for the women’s tennis team. Battling both the Yellow Jackets and the wind, Neils Barringer was the team’s only senior, but came up short on her day of glory.
“I felt even though I lost my match it was a good fight,” Barringer said. “I fell 6-1 [to the No. 2 duo in the nation and] 6-3, I just didn’t execute on a few shots.”
Even though Barringer’s career in front of the N.C. State home crowd has come to an end, she will continue to compete in tournaments over the summer.
“I’ve been playing since I was four so I just can’t imagine life without tennis,” Barringer said. “I plan to play in some tournaments over the summer.”
Going into the season, Barringer was ranked third in winning percentage in team history, .611 in singles and .609 in doubles competition. She clinched the team’s victory in the ACC Championship in 2008 as the No. 6 seed in singles. In 2006 she tied the second place single season record for wins with 14.
“Congratulations to Neils on senior day,” coach Hans Olsen said. “She’s had a great career and I’m very proud of her.”
For senior day, Barringer’s teammates decorated the locker room, transforming it into a tropical paradise in her honor.
“I’m not much of a crier,” Barringer said. “But I walked [into the locker room] and just started crying because of how sweet my teammates are and how much these four years have meant in my life.”
Despite Barringer’s efforts, the team came up short in victory. The Pack won one of three in doubles competition as No. 45 ranked junior Berkeley Brock and sophomore Lenka Hojckova upset the No. 20 doubles tandem from Georgia Tech.
“It was tough,” Brock said. “Especially with the wind being a factor in everyone’s match.”
The wind was blowing the balls all over the court throughout the day, so much as to even push several lobs into the next court over.
“I felt as though the girls worked very hard and mentally they didn’t get distracted by any extra factors,” Coach Olsen said. “It was a really windy day [and] the girls didn’t let that bother them.”
As for the team, they continue to work hard and face the challenges which lie ahead.
“[Georgia Tech] is tough,” junior Daria Petrovic said. “Everyone is focused on mentality and not letting anything get to us. We’re playing much better than we did in the begining of the year and look to improve.”
