North Carolina State University Athletics
No. 34 Wolfpack Opens Spring Season With Home Doubleheader
1/20/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 20, 2012
Live Scoring Game Notes
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NC State women's tennis team will open up the 2012 season on Saturday, Jan. 21 with a doubleheader against Davidson and Winthrop. The Wolfpack will host Davidson at 8:30 a.m., before taking on Winthrop at 5 p.m. Both matches will be held at the J.W. Isenhower Tennis Center.
NC State is ranked No. 34 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association team poll, one of nine ACC schools ranked in the top 40 in the nation. Winthrop also makes an appearance in the rankings, coming in at No. 67.
Sophomore Joelle Kissell is currently No. 40 in the singles poll. Kissell led the Pack during the fall, and will look to do the same in the spring. She accumulated a record of 9-3 in singles action during the fall season.
Two of Kissell's wins came against ranked opponents: she defeated No. 18 Lindsey Hardenbergh of Virginia, 6-2, 6-4, and topped No. 55 Alexa Guarachi of Alabama, 6-3 6-2. Of the three losses that she suffered, two were to ranked opponents.
Kissell will be joined by senior team captain Ashley Miller. Miller accumulated a winning singles record in the fall, topping opponents in three of her final four matches. Fellow captain, junior Tatiana Illova, also finished the fall season strong, winning her final two competitions.
Junior Chloe Smith won her final four matches to accumulate a .500 record in the fall, while sophomore Christy Sipes build a winning record for the second year in a row in fall play.
Freshmen Elisha Hande and Sophie Nelson experienced success in their first collegiate tournaments, with Hand picking up eight wins and Nelson grabbing two.
Newcomer Nicole Martinez joined NC State for the spring season from Ecuador. The freshman, who was ranked the No. 1 U-18 player in Ecuador, will look to make an immediate impact for the Wolfpack.
NC State will also look to make an impact on the court in doubles action. Miller and Kissell teamed up to build a 5-3 record in doubles on the fall, with their only losses coming at the hands of ranked opponents, including the No. 1 and No. 7 duos.
Hande and Illova compiled a 6-3 record, including two wins against ranked opponents. The duo knocked of the No. 36 team of Zapranza/Voscekova of Marshall, 8-6, and No. 48 Fuccillo/Xi of Virginia, 8-6. Nelson and Sipes picked up four wins during the fall, including winning two of their last three matches.
