The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/759726
84 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER Last season represented quite a turn- around for NC State women's tennis. The team went from unranked in the spring of 2015 to as high as No. 31 nationally before finishing at No. 35. In the process, they defeated seven ranked opponents en route to 15 overall wins, the third-highest total in program his- tory. Their 14 regular-season wins were the second most, and they set a new standard for ACC regular-season victories with six, while competing in a league that featured five teams rated among the top 16 and had 11 overall members earn NCAA Tourna- ment bids. Included in that last group was NC State, which got into the national postseason for the seventh time in school history. That was the goal going into the year for third-year head coach Simon Earnshaw, but he has a reason to expect that. Prior to arriving at NC State in the sum- mer of 2014, Earnshaw coached 15 years at Armstrong Atlantic State University in the Division II ranks, leading the men's team to three national titles and the women to six. The only time in Earnshaw's coaching career he did not make an NCAA Tourna- ment was his first at NC State. He has come to expect a certain level of success. "I don't think that we overachieved," Earnshaw said. "I think we had a chance to overachieve, and we came up a hair short in that regard. ■ PREVIEW WOMEN'S TENNIS PROGRAM BUILDING NC State Seeks To Continue Its Momentum After Last Year's NCAA Tournament Appearance Last year, senior Martina Frantova became only the fourth NC State women's tennis player to earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Singles Championships. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS ■ Key Matches • Vs. Kansas, Feb. 3 — This is part of a double- header with East Carolina at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center in Raleigh. The Jayhawks are a strong early season non-conference challenge. They made the NCAA Tour- nament a year ago. • Vs. North Carolina, Feb. 28 — The Tar Heels are always a tough opponent and reached the Sweet 16 last season in the NCAA Tournament. They come to Raleigh in NCSU's second ACC match of the year. • At Miami, March 3 — NC State's first road match in ACC play will be against a team that also reached the Sweet 16.