The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1137844
of Sadie Hammond and Kaitlin Staines to win the doubles point for NCSU. Then Rogers and Smith both won a pair of ranked matches at No. 1 and 2 singles, respectively, after junior Adriana Reami had already taken a straight-set win at No. 3 singles, securing the 4-0 triumph over the Vols before Nos. 4-6 singles had completed their matches. Best Upset Win Arizona softball went 48-14 this year and made it to the College World Series. But on Feb. 10, the Wildcats — then ranked No. 7 in the country — were stunned by NC State, 4-1, in Tampa, Fla. Freshman Sydney Nester pitched a com- plete game, giving up seven hits and one earned run while striking out five Arizona batters in seven innings. At the plate, NC State hit three home runs off the Arizona duo of Alyssa Denham and Taylor McQuillin, who combined to start 40 of Arizona's 62 games and finished with a collective 37-14 record. Best Recruiting Class Wes Moore's five-player class includes the program's first McDonald's All-Amer- ican signing since 2006. Jakia Brown- Turner, a 6-0 wing from Bishop McNa- mara High in Forestville, Md., averaged 16.0 points per game as a senior and was the player of the year in her state. ESPN ranks her the No. 17 overall prospect in the country. Jada Boyd, a 6-2 forward from Appo- mattox (Va.) County High, averaged video- game numbers of 33.2 points and 15.1 re- bounds per contest, and is ranked No. 32 in her class by ESPN. She is a two-time all-state selection. Camille Hobby is a 6-1 forward from Jacksonville (Fla.) Nease High and was named Florida's Miss Basketball and first- team All-State by USA Today after averag- ing 17.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game last season on a team that went 30-2 and reached the 7-A state title game. Kendal Moore is a 5-6 point guard who averaged 24.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game as a senior at Pine For- est High in Fayetteville, N.C., helping her team finish 22-5 and reach the third round of the 4-A state playoffs. Further bolstering the class will be the addition of Elle Sutphin, a 6-3 forward from East Surry High in Pilot Mountain, N.C. Sutphin is rated by ESPN.com as the No. 39 prospect in the 2020 class, but she has de- cided to graduate early and enroll at NC State in the fall. Sutphin averaged 21.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and two blocks per game for 27-3 East Surry last year. They were runner-ups in the state 1-A tournament. Sutphin was named her conference's co- Player of the Year and first-team All-State by USA Today. ■ MOST IMPROVED TEAM The amount of program bests set this year by women's tennis, which reached the Sweet 16 for the first time, were impressive: • Highest national team ranking and final team ranking — the Pack climbed to No. 9 at one point and finished at No. 11 in the country. • Highest national singles ranking and final singles ranking — junior Anna Rogers peaked at No. 8 in the rankings and finished at No. 13. • Highest national doubles ranking and final doubles ranking — the duo of freshman Alana Smith and Rogers finished fourth, an all-time best. • Most wins in a season — 24, five more than the previous best. • Most ACC wins — 11. • Highest finish in ACC regular-season standings — third. • Most combined singles and doubles wins in a season — 273. The future is bright. Both Rogers and Smith return, and NC State gains Auburn transfer Jaeda Daniel, a first-team All-SEC pick in 2018 who has been as high as No. 39 in the singles rankings. 130 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Junior Anna Rogers helped the women's tennis team set sev- eral program records this year, including highest final national ranking (No. 11), most overall wins (24) and most ACC victories (11). PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP