North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Ready For Season Opener Versus Northwestern
1/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Live Stats | Live Streaming
The 28th-ranked Wolfpack men's tennis team opens its season at home in the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center against the 34th-ranked Northwestern Wildcats on Friday at 4 p.m.
NC State has high expectations going into this season and looks to start the season strong. NC State has three singles players ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll led by Nick Horton who is ranked 39th followed by No. 51 Austin Powell and No. 123 Robbie Mudge. In doubles, Mudge and Ian Dempster, are ranked No. 19.
This years' team will have a strong international influence with players hailing from Sweden, Australia, Germany, and Georgia.
Last Season's Success:
After a sixth place ACC finish and third-straight NCAA Championship appearance in 2013, the NC State men's tennis team is looking to have a strong spring season. Going into the 2015 spring season, the Pack is stacked with upperclassmen experience and talented youth.
Scouting The Wildcats:
Northwestern's Strong Kircheimer is the Wildcats lone player in the ITA top 125 ranking at No. 108. The Wildcats have a talented and young team. Kircheimer is only a sophomore and went 5-2 during the fall season.
Kircheimer is joined by Logan Staggs a talented freshman who went 7-2 in his first season this fall. Northwestern will provide a challenge for the Pack.
Fall Form:
Beck Bond is coming off a strong summer and fall. The Meriden, Conn., native will look to continue his strong form as the senior will provide valuable experience in the middle of the lineup.
Thomas Weigel and Nick Horton are also coming off good fall seasons. Weigel led the team with nine singles victories, while Horton was right behind him with eight. Many of those victories came at the ITA All-American Championships where both advanced from the pre-qualifying stages of the tournament to face nationally ranked opposition.
Record Watch:
In his final season, Powell is making his mark on the record books. After five wins this fall, he has climbed to fifth place in singles victories in program history.
After six singles wins this fall, Mudge is one victory away from cracking the top-10 in singles victories. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native has also had success in doubles. He ranks sixth in doubles victories in program history.
New Match Format:
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) has enacted the following new match format designed to shorten the duration of college tennis matches for the enjoyment of fans. The Pack will follow this new set of rules.
- 3 doubles matches, each 1 set, with a tie-break at 6-all.
- 5 min intermission between doubles and singles
- 6 singles matches, each 2 out of 3 sets, with tie-breaks at 6-all.
- No-ad scoring in singles and doubles (if game reaches deuce, next point wins)
- No warm-up with opponents in doubles or in singles
Live Streaming
Friday's match will also feature an online video stream of each court inside the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center. This marks the debut of live streaming for Pack men's tennis. All of the team's home matches will be streamed online.
Live Streaming
