David Tracey
Junior Anna Rogers celebrates winning a point against Duke on Friday, May 10, 2019 at Ambler Tennis Stadium in Durham. Rogers’ match against Duke freshman Maria Mateas was halted at 7-6 (2), 0-1 during the Wolfpack’s 4-0 loss.
The No. 4 NC State women’s tennis team notched its first conference match and win of the season with a 4-3 victory over No. 32 Notre Dame on Friday. It followed that up with a 5-2 win over Louisville on Sunday afternoon to finish up the road trip. It’s the fourth time that the team has started conference play 2-0.
The Wolfpack (15-2, 2-0 ACC) had another uncharacteristic doubles loss on Sunday versus the Cardinals (8-2, 0-1 ACC). After winning 14 of the season’s first 15 doubles points, the Wolfpack has now lost two straight. The Pack split the first two doubles matches.
The win came from the No. 2 ranked duo of senior Anna Rogers and sophomore Alana Smith as they moved to 13-2 this season in doubles play. The Pack needed junior Liz Norman and freshmen Marta Gonzalez-Ballbe to come through with a win to clinch the doubles point. While it was close throughout Norman and Gonzalez-Ballbe lost a close match, 4-6, which gave Louisville the first point of the afternoon.
Once the singles matches started the Pack seized the momentum, winning five of six matches in singles play. Junior Lexi Keberle made quick work of her opponent as she won (6-0, 6-1) to clinch the Wolfpack it’s first point. Freshman Lana Mavor and junior Jaeda Daniel also won their matches with relative ease, (6-2, 6-0) and (6-2, 6-3).
Rogers clinched the team win and won her match in two close sets (6-4, 7-5). The last two matches after the win was secured for the Pack were split between the Wolfpack and the Cardinals. Smith won a third-set tiebreaker (6-7, 6-1, 10-3) while Norman dropped her match (6-4, 2-6, 5-7).
The Pack come home next weekend for another pair of ACC matches. It will play Wake Forest on Friday and Virginia on Sunday.