The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536961
38 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN N C State men's tennis coach Kyle Spencer has seen a lot in his seven years at the helm of the Wolfpack. He took over a pro- gram that won just four ACC matches the year before he was hired and quickly helped guide the Pack into the Intercol- legiate Tennis Association top 30. While that speedy turnaround was among the best in all of college tennis, it was just the beginning of what he was looking to build in Raleigh. Soon enough, the former Olympian's con- sistency on the hard courts helped turn NC State into a force in the ACC, one of the sport's top con- ferences at the collegiate level. Spencer helped raise the stan- dard throughout his first half- dozen years in Raleigh, including four NCAA Tournament victo- ries, but this spring was differ- ent. NC State wasn't just the team that was happy to chase the top of the league. Instead, it wanted to knock the traditional ACC pow- ers off their pedestal to establish the Wolfpack as one of the teams to be reckoned with. And, well, he engineered an NC State team to do just that. Its 2025 campaign was one that rewrote the record books. The Pack's men's tennis squad, which is The Wolfpacker's Men's Team of the Year, finished at No. 7, the program's highest-ever season-ending national ranking. Additionally, the Wolfpack posted a 22-7 record to secure its most wins since 2007 as well as a program-best 12 ACC victories, while it made its third-ever NCAA Super Regional — the second such trip to that round in Spencer's tenure. "I think it takes time," Spencer said with a smile. "We didn't have a long history of high-level success, by any means, when I first got here. … Along the way, players develop at their own rate. You can't rush that development." The difference between the program Spencer took over and the one he has firing on all cylinders comes down to his team's habits and non-negotiables, he said. The Pack's players know what the expectations are for themselves, both on and off the court. That approach, coupled with elite recruiting classes, has helped raise the floor for the Wolfpack. Spencer still pri- oritizes player development, but now, the Pack can attract some of the top prospects in the country, and his team's No. 1 recruiting class in 2021 was pivotal in that regard. "I think what you're seeing is, the starting level of those players coming in has gotten higher and higher each year, but the development part has stayed the bedrock of what we do," Spencer said. "Now, it's not taking as long for some of the newer players to come in and be able to play at a high level. The players, as they go through the program, are con- tinuing to improve and reach higher and higher levels of individual play. That, to me, is a massive difference." NC State saw that firsthand this sea- son. The Wolfpack cruised through ranked competition, earning 14 wins over top-65 opponents. It earned back- to-back top-10 wins over No. 6 Stan- ford and No. 5 Virginia in early March in the midst of a 13-match win- ning streak. The Wolfpack's red-hot con- ference stretch allowed the team to reach as high as No. 4 in the ITA rankings, a program best. Even though NC State proved it could contend with the best teams in the na- tion, it did so leaning on a mix of senior veterans and rising young players. The Pack wasn't sure how redshirt fresh- men Jules Leroux and William Manning would fare this spring, but they didn't look out of place. They were able to bring a competitive fire that helped make the squad well-rounded, which allowed se- niors Braden Shick, Fons Van Sambeek and Luca Staeheli to play freely on its better courts. Now, NC State knows what it has for the future. Next year's squad will have even higher expectations, with the Wolf- pack aiming for its first ACC crown since 1979 and another deep run through the NCAA Tournament. "I think there's been a commitment by our guys to put out performances that they can be proud of as a group," Spencer said. "It's been rewarding, because we knew we'd have a good team this year, but at the same time, it feels like we have such a long way to go." ■ 2024-25 YEAR IN REVIEW TEAMS OF THE YEAR MALE TEAM OF THE YEAR NET GAINS Men's Tennis Squad Surges To Historic Finish Senior Braden Shick went 23-15 in singles play and also teamed with classmate Fons Van Sambeek for a 19-9 doubles record. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS