North Carolina State University Athletics
Photo by: Chris Baird
Pack Opens 2019 Dual Season with Sunday Doubleheader
1/18/2019 11:10:00 AM | Men's Tennis
NC State to host Northwestern, Campbell at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State kicks off its 2019 spring campaign Sunday as it hosts a doubleheader inside the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center. The Wolfpack is set to match up against Northwestern at 12 p.m. and will face Campbell at 6 p.m.
"The guys are very excited to get this season started," said head coach Kyle Spencer. "We're hosting two very high-caliber opponents that will challenge our team to compete at the highest level. Sunday should be an outstanding day of tennis."
PACK RISING:
During the 2018 dual season, Coach Spencer's first season at the helm of the program, the Wolfpack saw tremendous success and growth. The Pack entered the national rankings for the first time in 2017-18 on Feb. 20, 2018 and remained in the top 30 for 11 consecutive weeks, including 10 weeks ranked in the top 25.
During the 2018 regular season, NC State matched up against 13 opponents that earned bids to the NCAA Championships. The Wolfpack finished the regular season with a 16-7 record, posting its best win percentage since the 2012 season, and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the ACC Championships for the third year in a row.
As the ninth head coach in NC State's program history, Spencer became the first to lead his team to an NCAA Tournament berth in his first season.
NC State ended the 2017-18 campaign ranked No. 29 in the final Oracle/ITA Team Rankings after compiling a 17-9 overall record and picking up four wins against opponents that were ranked at the time of competition. Seven of the Pack's wins during the 2018 dual season came against opponents that were ranked in the 2017-18 season-ending top 50.
Ten members of the 2018-19 squad are returners from last season.
2019 CAPTAINS:
Coach Spencer announced seniors Georgiy Malyshev and Michael Ogden and junior Alexis Galarneau as the squad's captains for the 2019 season. The three captains were selected by the team with support from the coaching staff to help maintain NC State's team values on a daily basis.
All three men saw action in at least 22 of the Pack's 26 dual matches during the 2018 campaign. They have also displayed strong leadership qualities both on and off the court, demonstrating the team's "Pack Rising" motto that focuses on elevating all aspects of the program.
FALL HIGHLIGHTS:
Seniors Igor Saveljic and Ivan Saveljic highlighted the Wolfpack's fall season by making appearances in the doubles main draw of three major Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) tournaments.
The brothers competed at the Saint Francis Health System Men's ITA All-American Championships in October and went on to reach the semifinals of the ITA Carolina Regional later that month, becoming the Pack's second pair in as many years to reach the semifinal round at the tournament. Igor and Ivan concluded their falls by reaching the doubles round of 16 at the ITA National Fall Championships.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS:
The all-time series between NC State and Northwestern is tied at five after the Pack traveled to Evanston, Ill. last season and battled to a 4-3 win over the Wildcats.
Nine players from last season's roster return for the Wildcats for the 2019 spring season, including junior Dominik Stary, who won the Big Ten singles championship in the fall.
Northwestern has already opened its 2019 schedule with a loss at Memphis, and it will take on Vanderbilt on Friday before heading to Raleigh to face the Pack on Sunday.
SCOUTING THE CAMELS:
Sunday's match will mark the first meeting between the Pack and the Camels since 2016, a match that NC State took by a 7-0 score. The Wolfpack leads the overall series between the two teams 8-2 and has one the last four matchups.
Campbell enters its season coming off of a Big South Conference title in 2018, and the Camels ended their 2018 spring campaign with the program's first NCAA Tournament berth. Seven players from last season return to this season's roster, including a pair of all-conference honorees in Dustin Werner and Gerard Sola.
The Camels are set to open the spring season with a pair of matches on Friday before meeting the Wolfpack on Sunday.
#GoPack | @PackMensTennis
"The guys are very excited to get this season started," said head coach Kyle Spencer. "We're hosting two very high-caliber opponents that will challenge our team to compete at the highest level. Sunday should be an outstanding day of tennis."
PACK RISING:
During the 2018 dual season, Coach Spencer's first season at the helm of the program, the Wolfpack saw tremendous success and growth. The Pack entered the national rankings for the first time in 2017-18 on Feb. 20, 2018 and remained in the top 30 for 11 consecutive weeks, including 10 weeks ranked in the top 25.
During the 2018 regular season, NC State matched up against 13 opponents that earned bids to the NCAA Championships. The Wolfpack finished the regular season with a 16-7 record, posting its best win percentage since the 2012 season, and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the ACC Championships for the third year in a row.
As the ninth head coach in NC State's program history, Spencer became the first to lead his team to an NCAA Tournament berth in his first season.
NC State ended the 2017-18 campaign ranked No. 29 in the final Oracle/ITA Team Rankings after compiling a 17-9 overall record and picking up four wins against opponents that were ranked at the time of competition. Seven of the Pack's wins during the 2018 dual season came against opponents that were ranked in the 2017-18 season-ending top 50.
Ten members of the 2018-19 squad are returners from last season.
2019 CAPTAINS:
Coach Spencer announced seniors Georgiy Malyshev and Michael Ogden and junior Alexis Galarneau as the squad's captains for the 2019 season. The three captains were selected by the team with support from the coaching staff to help maintain NC State's team values on a daily basis.
All three men saw action in at least 22 of the Pack's 26 dual matches during the 2018 campaign. They have also displayed strong leadership qualities both on and off the court, demonstrating the team's "Pack Rising" motto that focuses on elevating all aspects of the program.
FALL HIGHLIGHTS:
Seniors Igor Saveljic and Ivan Saveljic highlighted the Wolfpack's fall season by making appearances in the doubles main draw of three major Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) tournaments.
The brothers competed at the Saint Francis Health System Men's ITA All-American Championships in October and went on to reach the semifinals of the ITA Carolina Regional later that month, becoming the Pack's second pair in as many years to reach the semifinal round at the tournament. Igor and Ivan concluded their falls by reaching the doubles round of 16 at the ITA National Fall Championships.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS:
The all-time series between NC State and Northwestern is tied at five after the Pack traveled to Evanston, Ill. last season and battled to a 4-3 win over the Wildcats.
Nine players from last season's roster return for the Wildcats for the 2019 spring season, including junior Dominik Stary, who won the Big Ten singles championship in the fall.
Northwestern has already opened its 2019 schedule with a loss at Memphis, and it will take on Vanderbilt on Friday before heading to Raleigh to face the Pack on Sunday.
SCOUTING THE CAMELS:
Sunday's match will mark the first meeting between the Pack and the Camels since 2016, a match that NC State took by a 7-0 score. The Wolfpack leads the overall series between the two teams 8-2 and has one the last four matchups.
Campbell enters its season coming off of a Big South Conference title in 2018, and the Camels ended their 2018 spring campaign with the program's first NCAA Tournament berth. Seven players from last season return to this season's roster, including a pair of all-conference honorees in Dustin Werner and Gerard Sola.
The Camels are set to open the spring season with a pair of matches on Friday before meeting the Wolfpack on Sunday.
#GoPack | @PackMensTennis
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