Extending its win streak to nine matches on a night that felt more like late winter than early spring with temperatures in the low 50s, No. 20 NC State men’s tennis dominated Louisville 4-1 after teetering midway through the contest.
The Wolfpack (13-1, 5-0 ACC) took the doubles point in quick fashion and got ahead early on the singles courts, winning the first set on five of six courts. The Cardinals (14-6, 3-2 ACC) rallied and temporarily staved off NC State’s advances, but the Pack’s top players came through to secure its fifth-straight ranked win.
“I don’t think we ever lost control of the match,” head coach Kyle Spencer said. “But look, the temperature dropped 10, 15 degrees, balls got slow, so what was happening before, they probably made a pretty good adjustment in some of the spots. In the ACC, every team can play. Being in the top 25, people are looking for a big win and nobody’s going to give up.”
The Pack picked up first-set wins on Courts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, with only No. 110 redshirt sophomore Jules Leroux falling. Leroux stumbled and was on the ground in pain for a few minutes with a lower body injury, but he got back up and battled to a 7-5, 6-3 loss.
Apart from Leroux, the Pack was in full control on each of the other singles courts. With freshman Charlie Camus picking up a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win on Court 6, NC State just needed to close out on two of the other four courts.
Answering the call, senior No. 13 Martin Borisiouk on Court 1 and redshirt sophomore No. 97 William Manning on Court 2 both won their matches in straight sets, despite Louisville’s Walid Ahouda and Andre Steinbach holding their own and nearly forcing a third set.
Manning, a Raleigh native, served out the final game to clinch the win for the Wolfpack, extending his individual win-streak to seven matches.
“That’s what you hope for. Those are tough games, and sometimes those are nervy games,” Spencer said. “For him, it looked like it was a pretty commanding hold. [Steinbach] got hot for a few games so he had to stay in there.”
Manning has been a big piece of the puzzle in the Wolfpack’s recent success, and Spencer has seen him grow over the years into the No. 2 position on the team.
“Everyone in college tennis is a work in progress,” Spencer said. “Guys improve at different rates at different times, different skill sets. He’s starting to put some of those skill sets together. He’s working very hard off the court in the weight room, with the footwork coach, he’s working technically on his serve.”
Along with Manning, the squad is getting hot at the right time as four starters boast a win streak of four or more in a row. That will be tested as the toughest part of the schedule has arrived as the Pack faces No. 15 Notre Dame and No. 2 Virginia in the next week.
Squaring up against its highest ranked opponent of the year, NC State will face No. 15 Notre Dame at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center Sunday at noon. Rain is in the forecast, but if mother nature is kind, expect outdoor play with temperatures in the 60s.
