NC State
Charlotte
No. 16 Wolfpack Set for Pair of Weekend Matches
2/4/2021 1:17:00 PM | Men's Tennis
RALEIGH - The 16th-ranked NC State men's tennis team (1-2) continues 2021 action, welcoming Charlotte (3-1) to Raleigh Feb. 5 before traveling to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on No. 10 Tennessee (6-0) Feb. 7.
Due to current State guidelines regarding venue capacity limits, fans will not be permitted at home matches. NC State Athletics will continue to review capacity guidelines throughout the season and will communicate updates as they are available.
PACK IN THE RANKINGS
In the most recent Oracle/ITA rankings, the Wolfpack checks in at No. 16.
Singles and doubles rankings have only been released once in the 2021 season. Fifth-year Alexis Galarneau is ranked No. 7 in singles action while senior Tadas Babelis is ranked at 95th. In doubles, Yannai Barkai and Babelis check in at No. 9 while Galarneau and Robert Turzak sit at No. 23.Â
LAST TIME OUT
The Wolfpack competed at No. 12 Georgia on Jan. 31, falling 4-3 to the Bulldogs in a tight match.
NC State won the doubles point behind wins by the pair of Babelis and Robin Catry and No. 23 Galarneau and Turzak. Babelis and Catry defeated No. 8 Trent Bryde and Tyler Zink 6-4, a performance that earned the duo ACC Doubles Team of the Week.
Rafa Izquierdo Luque got a top-20 win over eighteenth-ranked Philip Henning 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-5. The win was the junior's first ranked win of the season and was good to earn him ACC Player of the Week.
Catry not only was awarded conference honors, but additionally was named the UTR/ITA Player of the Week. The Lille, France, native was the first member of the Wolfpack with a singles victory against Georgia as he defeated Baptiste Anselmo 6-2, 6-2.
SCOUTING THE 49ERS
Charlotte maintains a winning record on the season, its lone loss coming in a 4-3 loss to No. 20 South Carolina. The 49ers have defeated Gardner-Webb, Furman and Georgia State.
The doubles pair of Henry Lieberman and Ben Wayand is ranked No. 39 in the Oracle/ITA rankings.
SCOUTING THE VOLUNTEERS
The Volunteers have yet to lose a match in 2021, recording two top-20 wins on the season. Tennessee competed at the Raleigh site of the ITA Kickoff Weekend and defeated then-No.17 Ole Miss before defeating the Wolfpack 4-1.
Tennessee was ranked No. 13 when the Wolfpack last faced the team, and the Volunteers have since moved up in the rankings to tenth.
Adam Walton (No. 24) and Pat Harper (No. 124) are both ranked in the Oracle/ITA singles rankings.
UP NEXT
NC State returns to the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center for its first ACC matchup of the season, welcoming Louisville Feb. 19 at 4 p.m.
#GoPack | @PackMensTennis
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