For the first time in program history, the No. 6 NC State women's tennis team (19-5) is headed to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships as it defeated No. 35 USC by a 4-1 score on Sunday morning.
After earning its spot in the Sweet 16 for the second-straight time and the second time in school history, the Wolfpack will now be one of eight teams playing in the quarterfinal round later this week.
The Pack quickly set the tone in doubles action with dominant victories on the top two courts. Both 12th-ranked
Anna Rogers and
Alana Smith and fifth-ranked
Jaeda Daniel and
Adriana Reami continued to prove themselves among the nation's best. Each Wolfpack duo only dropped a game apiece on the way to tallying a pair of 6-1 wins to claim the doubles point in less than 30 minutes of action.
The story was the same in singles action as Reami, Daniel, Rencheli and
Lexi Keberle all went up a set to maintain momentum for NC State. In total, the squad took five of six first sets in singles, as Smith also won her first in a tiebreaker after trailing 0-2 early.
No. 82 Rencheli was the first to wrap up her singles match in straight sets with the 6-1, 6-3 decision over Constance Branstine.
USC took the victory on court one, but Reami and Daniel were both up three games in their third sets and in good position to close out the team victory.
Daniel got the job done on court four, closing her match out with a break over Summer Dvorak to complete the 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 win. The victory marked her fifth in her last six completed singles matches and put NC State's advantage at 3-1.
Reami closed out the match about 15 minutes later, with her 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Danielle Wilson securing the 4-1 team win and punching NC State's historic ticket to the next round.
The remaining rounds of the 2021 NCAA Championships, including all singles and doubles competition following the team tournament, will be played at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona. NC State advances to take on No. 3 Georgia or No. 13 Virginia, with that quarterfinal matchup scheduled for Wednesday, May 19 at a time yet to be determined.
RESULTS:
#6 NC State 4, #35 USC 1
Doubles ResultsOrder of finish: (1, 2)
1. #12
Anna Rogers/
Alana Smith (NC State) def. Angela Kulikov/Eryn Cayetano (USC) 6-1
2. #5
Jaeda Daniel/
Adriana Reami (NC State) def. Salma Ewing/ Clare McKee (USC) 6-1
3. #42
Amelia Rajecki/
Abigail Rencheli (NC State) vs. Summer Dvorak/Danielle Wilson (USC) 3-2, unfinished
Singles ResultsOrder of finish: (5, 1, 4, 3)
1. #42 Salma Ewing (USC) def. #6
Anna Rogers (NC State) 6-4, 6-2
2. #23
Alana Smith (NC State) vs. #98 Eryn Cayetano (USC) 7-6 (5), 4-5, unfinished
3.
Adriana Reami (NC State) def. Danielle Wilson (USC) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
4.
Jaeda Daniel (NC State) def. Summer Dvorak (USC) 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
5. #82
Abigail Rencheli (NC State) def. Constance Branstine (USC) 6-1, 6-3
6.
Lexi Keberle (NC State) vs. Clare McKee (USC) 6-4, 5-7, 0-0, unfinished
