North Carolina State University Athletics
Women's Tennis to Play No. 20 Duke in Vegas
3/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
RALEIGH, N.C.- Continuing its road slate on the west coast, the NC State women's tennis team will face Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) rival No. 20 Duke in Las Vegas, Nev., on Friday. Competition is slated for a 2 p.m. ET start at the Darling Tennis Center.
Simon Says
"In the match at Northern Arizona we had a few different variables to adjust to with the altitude and it being our first outdoor match in a long time. We did a great job, though, of adapting to something we have not been used to and pulled out a great win.
"Looking at Duke on Friday we'll be in the desert where the ball tends to get though the air faster, which is another variable we're not quite used to. Playing Duke will serve as a great challenge for us, though. We're in great shape and very healthy, and we've been making progress throughout the season and are looking to continue our improvement."- Simon Earnshaw, head coach
Last Time Out
The Pack earned a 5-2 victory over Northern Arizona Tuesday to mark a two-match win streak and improve to 8-5 (0-3 ACC) on the season.
NC State clinched the doubles point from courts one and three, then proceeded to grab three points in straight sets from courts one, four and five. Elisha Hande capped off the 5-2 win with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory on court three over NAU's Emelia Box.
Wolfpack in the Rankings
In the latest ITA polls, the Pack has one player among the singles rankings and one duo in the doubles listings.
Junior Joanna Nalborska sits at No. 104 in the ITA Singles Rankings while she and Hande hold the 77th spot in the doubles polls.
Scouting Duke
No. 20 Duke will enter the weekday matchup with a 8-5 overall record on the season, including a perfect 4-0 record in ACC play. The team will face UNLV on Thursday before playing its conference matchup with the Pack.
The Blue Devils have three listed among the ITA Singles Rankings with Ester Goldfield holding the 51st spot, while Rachel Kahan and Samantha Harris sit at No. 105 and 106, respectively.
In doubles play, the duo of Beatrice Capra and Harris is listed at No. 40 in the rankings while Harris and Annie Mulholland are at No. 60.
