Wolfpack Ranked No. 8 in Oracle/ITA Preseason Rankings
1/14/2021 11:11:00 AM | Men's Tennis
TEMPE, ARIZ. -Â The NC State men's tennis program opens 2021 ranked No. 8 in the Oracle/ITA Preseason Rankings, as announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on Wednesday.
The entirety of the Wolfpack's 2019-2020 squad returns for the 2020-2021 season as Alexis Galarneau chose to use the extra year of eligibility granted to spring student-athletes by the NCAA after the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
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DOUBLES RANKINGS
The doubles pair of Tadas Babelis and Yannai Barkai record their highest doubles ranking, checking in at No. 9. The pair's previous high ranking came Feb. 5, 2020 at No. 12. The duo posted a record of 16-7 during the 2019-20 season, including four wins over nationally ranked doubles teams in dual match action. Babelis and Barkai's highest-ranked win of 2020 came when they defeated then-No. 13 Ryan Seggerman and Payton Holden of Princeton.
Fifth year Galarneau and senior Robert Turzak tab a spot in the doubles rankings as well at No. 23. Galarneau and Turzak were ranked one week in the 2019-20 season and recorded an impressive doubles record of 11-1, all in 2020 dual match play. The pair defeated North Carolina's then-No. 4 Mac Kiger and Simon Soendergaard for their highest-ranked win of the season.
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SINGLES RANKINGS
Galarneau checks into the singles rankings at No. 7, his highest ever and the highest singles ranking in the program since at least 1991. His previous high ranking was on Feb. 20, 2018 when he was ranked No. 16.Â
The fifth year dropped only one singles match in 2020 dual match competition with five wins over ranked opponents, including a win over then-No. 2 Yuya Ito in the Wolfpack's win over Texas.
Babelis is ranked in singles as well, taking the No. 95 spot. The Vilnius, Lithuania native recorded his highest-ranked win of 2020 dual match play in NC State's win over Pennsylvania, defeating No. 88 Kevin Zhu.
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Players Mentioned
