NC State
#25 University of Notre Dame
NC State Returns Home To Host No. 25 Notre Dame, Boston College
3/29/2018 10:10:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The Wolfpack’s weekend matches are the first of four in a row at home
March 26, 2018
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RALEIGH, N.C. - After playing three conference contests in a row on the road, the 29th-ranked NC State men's tennis team (11-5, 1-4 ACC) is back in action in Raleigh this weekend for a pair of matches at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center. The Wolfpack welcomes No. 25 Notre Dame (12-9, 3-2 ACC) Friday evening at 5 p.m. and hosts Boston College (7-7, 0-5 ACC) Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
"I'm excited that we're back home," said head coach Kyle Spencer. "I think the guys are excited to play in front of our home fans, and the weather looks like it's going to be really nice. We have two good teams coming in. Notre Dame is a well-coached team, and Boston College has had some strong play within the ACC, so we'll have our hands full this weekend. I think the guys are ready to go and are really excited."
LAST TIME OUT:
NC State dropped a difficult decision to Miami Sunday afternoon, falling 4-3 to the Hurricanes in Coral Gables, Fla. The Wolfpack managed to claim the doubles point, but the match came down to a tiebreaker in the third set on the final singles court, which Miami won to take the team victory.
WOLFPACK IN THE RANKINGS:
The Wolfpack is one of six ACC programs that is ranked in the top 30 of the Oracle/ITA Team Rankings, checking in at No. 29.
Individual rankings remained the same this week. Two Wolfpack duos are featured, as Igor Saveljic and Ivan Saveljic pair up for a No. 53 doubles ranking and Alexis Galarneau and Michael Ogden are ranked No. 63. Galarneau is also ranked 24th nationally in singles.
Beginning on April 3, individual rankings will be updated on a weekly basis for the remainder of the season.
PACK TRACKS:
Friday's match against Notre Dame marks the Wolfpack's sixth against a top-25 opponent this season. Five of NC State's last seven matches have been against ranked foes, with three of those being conference opponents.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH:
Notre Dame sits at 12-9 on the season, and the Fighting Irish have been ranked in the national top 30 every week since Jan. 31. The team's highest ranking of the season to date came with a No. 17 designation in the Feb. 20 release. The Fighting Irish squad is 1-8 against nationally-ranked opponents during dual match play, as it picked up a win over then No. 8 Texas during the ITA Kick Off Weekend in January.
Junior Alex Lebedev is the only member of the Fighting Irish with a singles ranking, sitting at No. 48 with a 8-9 record in his matchups against ranked players. Lebedev played against Galarneau in the Round of 16 at the ITA All-American Championships in the fall, a meeting that Galarneau won in straight sets.
In doubles, Brendon Kempin and Tristan McCormick are No. 80. The duo is 7-9 on the season at the top singles spot with a victory over then fifth-ranked Florida duo McClain Kessler and Duarte Vale.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES:
Boston College jumped out to a 7-2 start to its season but has since lost five matches in a row. The Eagles opened ACC play with a narrow 4-3 loss against Notre Dame, but they have yet to win a conference match through five contests.
Boston College is set to square off against the Clemson Tigers Thursday evening before heading to Raleigh to take on the Pack.
PROMOTIONS:
Friday vs. Notre Dame
- Residence Life Day
- Enter to win an NC State prize pack, which includes a pair of Beats Headphones
- Chick-Fil-A sandwiches for the first 100 fans
Saturday vs. Boston College
- Tennis Club Day, Wolfpack Club Day
- Kids Day: Howling Cow ice cream for all kids in attendance, egg hunt, face painter
- Enter to win an NC State prize pack, which includes a holiday basket
- Wolfpack Tennis water bottle giveaway, while supplies last
#GoPack | @PackMensTennis
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