North Carolina State University Athletics
Women’s Tennis Opens Dual Season at #ITAKickOff
1/25/2018 9:55:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Event Page | Live Results
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State women's tennis team opens its spring season Friday when it begins play at the Tenth Annual ITA Kick-Off Weekend with a matchup against #16 UCLA Friday at 2:00 p.m. in Lexington, Kentucky, at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.
The Wolfpack will then face either #21 Kentucky or Northwestern on Saturday depending upon on the results of both matches.
The event, which includes 60 teams nationally at 15 different sites, will determine this year's qualifiers for the ITA National Team Indoor Championships on Feb. 9-12 hosted by Wisconsin.
From the Coach
"It's fair to say that it's been a long run this January into our opener and that everyone is more than eager to get out there and compete," said head coach Simon Earnshaw. "The anticipation is always high ahead of a new season and particularly this time around with the ITA Kick-Off and UCLA, along with the possibility to then play Kentucky or Northwestern. This weekend is going to be a great measuring stick for the program to see where we stand compared to three programs that have long traditions in Women's Tennis. Of all the ITA Kick-Off sites this is arguably the most competitive, which is why I chose it, and is exactly the kind of challenge that will bring the best out of our team. Go Pack!"
Pack in the Polls
NC State received votes in the first Oracle/ITA team poll of 2018 while junior Claudia Wiktorin & sophomore Anna Rogers enter the spring season ranked as the #9 doubles team in the latest Oracle/ITA rankings released on Nov. 15, 2017. Their mark is the second-highest doubles ranking achieved in program history behind Sanna Bhambri & Sandya Nagharaj, who were ranked No. 7 in 2011.
Wiktorin also earned the first singles ranking of her career as she enters the dual season ranked #61.
Fall Rewind
The Wolfpack had an impressive fall season and will look to carry that momentum over to the spring. Wiktorin & Rogers, who earned the second-highest doubles ranking in program history while Wiktorin also climbed into the singles rankings for the first time in her career, were joined by Bianca Moldovan and Adriana Reami as being selected to compete at the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships. Wiktorin & Rogers ended up advancing to the quarterfinals, while at the USTA/ITA Carolinas Regional Championship they made the semifinals.
The duo's success continued at the ITA National Fall Championships where they advanced to the Round of 16, only falling to the #6 team in the nation from Ole Miss who ended up making the final.
Other highlights for the Pack included winning 72 percent of its matches at the Duke Bonk Invitational and Amanda Rebol leaving the Gopher Invitational as Champion. Rebol also made her singles flight final at the Rebel Invite, as did Tayla Stenta and Taylor Bridges.
Grimm Joins the Pack
NC State recently welcomed freshman Helene Grimm to the program; she enrolled in January and will be competing during the spring. Grimm has an impressive resume as she is currently ranked #54 in the German National Women's rankings and was ranked as high as #9 in junior competition. She advanced to the final in both singles and doubles at the 2017 North German Championships in a run that saw her defeat top ranked German juniors Shaline Pipa and Angelina Wirges. Grimm also reached the quarter-finals of the German Junior National Championships in 2013 and won the German Nike junior tour in the same year.
Scouting UCLA
Scouting Kentucky
Scouting Northwestern
Stay up to date with the latest on NC State women's tennis:
Twitter: @PackWTennis
Facebook: NC State Women's Tennis
Instagram: @PackWTennis
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State women's tennis team opens its spring season Friday when it begins play at the Tenth Annual ITA Kick-Off Weekend with a matchup against #16 UCLA Friday at 2:00 p.m. in Lexington, Kentucky, at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.
The Wolfpack will then face either #21 Kentucky or Northwestern on Saturday depending upon on the results of both matches.
The event, which includes 60 teams nationally at 15 different sites, will determine this year's qualifiers for the ITA National Team Indoor Championships on Feb. 9-12 hosted by Wisconsin.
From the Coach
"It's fair to say that it's been a long run this January into our opener and that everyone is more than eager to get out there and compete," said head coach Simon Earnshaw. "The anticipation is always high ahead of a new season and particularly this time around with the ITA Kick-Off and UCLA, along with the possibility to then play Kentucky or Northwestern. This weekend is going to be a great measuring stick for the program to see where we stand compared to three programs that have long traditions in Women's Tennis. Of all the ITA Kick-Off sites this is arguably the most competitive, which is why I chose it, and is exactly the kind of challenge that will bring the best out of our team. Go Pack!"
Pack in the Polls
NC State received votes in the first Oracle/ITA team poll of 2018 while junior Claudia Wiktorin & sophomore Anna Rogers enter the spring season ranked as the #9 doubles team in the latest Oracle/ITA rankings released on Nov. 15, 2017. Their mark is the second-highest doubles ranking achieved in program history behind Sanna Bhambri & Sandya Nagharaj, who were ranked No. 7 in 2011.
Wiktorin also earned the first singles ranking of her career as she enters the dual season ranked #61.
Fall Rewind
The Wolfpack had an impressive fall season and will look to carry that momentum over to the spring. Wiktorin & Rogers, who earned the second-highest doubles ranking in program history while Wiktorin also climbed into the singles rankings for the first time in her career, were joined by Bianca Moldovan and Adriana Reami as being selected to compete at the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships. Wiktorin & Rogers ended up advancing to the quarterfinals, while at the USTA/ITA Carolinas Regional Championship they made the semifinals.
The duo's success continued at the ITA National Fall Championships where they advanced to the Round of 16, only falling to the #6 team in the nation from Ole Miss who ended up making the final.
Other highlights for the Pack included winning 72 percent of its matches at the Duke Bonk Invitational and Amanda Rebol leaving the Gopher Invitational as Champion. Rebol also made her singles flight final at the Rebel Invite, as did Tayla Stenta and Taylor Bridges.
Grimm Joins the Pack
NC State recently welcomed freshman Helene Grimm to the program; she enrolled in January and will be competing during the spring. Grimm has an impressive resume as she is currently ranked #54 in the German National Women's rankings and was ranked as high as #9 in junior competition. She advanced to the final in both singles and doubles at the 2017 North German Championships in a run that saw her defeat top ranked German juniors Shaline Pipa and Angelina Wirges. Grimm also reached the quarter-finals of the German Junior National Championships in 2013 and won the German Nike junior tour in the same year.
Scouting UCLA
- The Bruins were ranked #16 in the ITA team poll released on Jan. 17
- In the most recent ITA singles poll released Nov. 15, 2017, Ena Shibahara was ranked #16, Abi Altick was ranked #46, Alaina Miller was ranked #76, Terri Fleming was tied for #100 and Jada Hart was ranked #119
- In the most recent ITA doubles poll, Hart and Shibahara were ranked #7 while Hart was also ranked #27 with Gabby Andrews
- They opened their season on Jan. 19 with a 4-2 victory over UC Santa Barbara
- UCLA ended the 2017 season ranked #23 and advancing to the second round of NCAA Tournament
- Friday marks the first meeting in history between the Wolfpack and the Bruins
Scouting Kentucky
- Kentucky was ranked #21 in the latest ITA team poll
- UK opened its spring season on Jan. 24 with wins over Miami (OH) and Northern Kentucky
- Akvile Paražinskaite is currently ranked #26 in the ITA singles poll
- The Wildcats concluded the 2017 season ranked #18 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament
- The Pack is 0-1 all-time against UK with the two programs only having met in 1996 in a dual that saw the Wildcats prevail 8-1
Scouting Northwestern
- Northwestern captured a 6-1 win over Ball State and a 7-0 victory against Saint Louis on Jan. 20 to begin its dual season
- Lee Or was the #60 singles player in the latest ITA poll, Maddie Lipp was ranked #92 and Rheeya Doshi was ranked #99
- Erin Larner and Maddie Lipp were tabbed as the #4 doubles team in the country in the latest ITA poll while Alex Chatt and Lee Or were #8. The duo of Lipp and Chatt were ranked #29 and Inci Ogut and Julie Byrne were ranked #40
- Northwestern made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2017, ending the season with the #17 ranking
- NC State is 1-1 all time against Northwestern; the two programs most recently met in 1990 with the Wildcats earning an 8-1 victory
Stay up to date with the latest on NC State women's tennis:
Twitter: @PackWTennis
Facebook: NC State Women's Tennis
Instagram: @PackWTennis
Players Mentioned
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