No. 42 NC State Resumes Conference Play, Hosts No. 10 Virginia

5#42 NC State (9-4, 2-2 ACC) vs. #10 Virginia (9-5, 4-1 ACC)

Saturday, March 19

12 p.m.

Raleigh, N.C. - J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center

RALEIGH - No. 42 NC State women's tennis (9-4, 2-2 ACC) hosts No. 10 Virginia (9-5, 4-1 ACC) Saturday, as it looks for an upset in front of a home crowd against its seventh nationally ranked opponent of the season.

Last weekend, the Wolfpack captured a 4-2 win over Long Beach State followed by a tough loss at former No. 17 Pepperdine. Prior to the recent loss, the Pack showed its strength collecting back-to-back conference wins over Louisville and former No. 24 Syracuse.

RELATED STORY: No. 55 NC State Upsets No. 24 Syracuse to Nab Second ACC Win

Following its 5-2 victory over the No. 24 Orange, the Wolfpack improved 24 spots in the team rankings and listed No. 31 in the national poll, its highest ranking in three seasons.

RELATED STORY: NC State Breaks into Top-35

NC State currently lists No. 42 among the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) team rankings. Martina Frantova remains No. 61 among the singles rankings and boasts a 23-8 overall record.

SCOUT REPORT:
Back in Red and White territory, the Pack hosts its toughest conference opponent of the season in the Cavaliers. Coming off of a recent 4-2 win over No. 6 Michigan, the Cavs arrive in Raleigh 3-4 against nationally ranked opponents. The Pack will face a competitive Virginia roster including No. 4 Danielle Collins and No. 13 Julia Elbaba. Collins is part of two nationally ranked Virginia duos listed No. 25 with Meghan Kelley and No. 78 with Stephanie Nauta.

IN-DEPTH: Virginia season statistics

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT:
NC State has showcased tremendous improvement so far this season netting conference victories over two programs to which it fell last season. The Wolfpack fell 7-0 to the Cavaliers in its last matchup during the 2015 season, seeking redemption and improvement in Saturday's dual.

SIMON SAYS:
"Over the past few weeks the team has really grown together, especially this past week out in California. We are coming off a stretch of seven out of 10 games on the road but, I think I speak for everyone, it's great to be back in Raleigh to start the second half of the season with an extended run of games at home. It gives us extra time to practice and get back into a better daily routine.

"We've made a ton of progress this season and, with the remainder of the ACC slate coming up the next four weeks, that progress is really going to be put to the test. Starting with No. 10 Virginia this Saturday, every opponent we face the rest of the way is going to have an eye on making the tournament and/or hosting a Regional. We are ready for the challenge, in many ways everything that we have done up to this point has been preparation for what is now the business end of the season. Now is the time for us to push harder, to be more resilient and to really step up, not just individually, but collectively as a team and a program. Go Pack!" - Simon Earnshaw, head coach

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No. 42 NC State Resumes Conference Play, Hosts No. 10 Virginia

Players Mentioned

Martina Frantova

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