No. 32 NC State Set for Saturday Doubleheader

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RALEIGH, N.C. – The 32^nd-ranked NC State men's tennis team will face Troy and Gardner Webb in a doubleheader Saturday at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center. The Wolfpack (7-2) will face Gardner Webb at10 a.m. and Troy at 2 p.m.

The Competition:
NC State enters the weekend with three straight wins and is a combined 6-0 all time against its Saturday opponents. In 2011, the Pack defeated Troy 4-0 in the only meeting between the schools. The Wolfpack and Gardner Webb's history goes back to 2005 with the Pack taking the last win of the series in 2012.

Captain's Leading the Way:
NC State's three captains, Nick Horton, Simon Norenius and Thomas Weigel provided the winning points for the team in their last double header. After NC State won the doubles point, Horton, Norneius and Weigel provided the three clinching points to win both matches. The points were crucial, as NC State edged South Carolina, 4-3 and dominated Bryant 4-0.

Reclaiming Doubles:
After losing four consecutive doubles points early in the season, the Pack made adjustments in its game, focusing on playing the opening points harder. The adjustments paid off as NC State has won two consecutive doubles points.

Pack In The Polls:
Both Horton and Norenius made their debuts in the rankings, checking in at 53rd and 74th, respectively. Both players earned wins over ranked opponents and have earned crucial match points at the top of the line up for the Wolfpack.

Horton earned his ranking, while splitting time between the top spots in the line up. Two weeks ago, the Australian defeated then 13th-ranked Ronnie Schneider on UNC's home court. Horton won convincingly in straight sets. He won all three of his matches over the weekend to improve to 6-1.

Norenius earned his ranking after recording a 7-1 duel season record, while splitting time between the top-two spots. The senior took down a pair of ranked opponents in last weekend's matches.

Last Time Out:
NC State rattled off three wins last weekend, defeating No. 33 Dartmouth Friday and No. 55 South Carolina and Bryant on Sunday. The wins give NC State three wins over ranked competition this season and helped NC State improve to a perfect 6-0 record at home.

Players Mentioned

Nick Horton

Simon Norenius

Thomas Weigel

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