NC State
South Carolina
Sixteenth-Ranked Wolfpack Travels To South Carolina for Top-20 Showdown
3/18/2021 2:24:00 PM | Men's Tennis
RALEIGH - The No. 16 NC State men's tennis team (9-4, 6-1 ACC) is set to begin a five-match road stretch Friday, Mar. 19 at 1 p.m. as it travels to No. 14 South Carolina (9-5, 5-3 SEC).
PACK IN THE RANKINGS
The Wolfpack has been ranked in the Oracle/ITA rankings every week of the 2021 season, most recently checking in at No. 16 on Mar. 17.
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.
LAST TIME OUT
The team took down Presbyterian, 6-1, to clock its fifth-straight win. NC State swept the doubles courts with wins by No. 9 Babelis and Barkai, Collin Shick and Robin Catry and Joseph Schrader and Tristan Smith.
Schrader and Smith saw their first action of 2021 at the match and came away with a 6-4 victory.
In singles, Rafa Izquierdo Luque took the first win as he defeated Daniel Stenger 6-3, 6-1 and was followed by Catry's 6-3, 6-3 win over Teo Cariov.
Barkai clinched the match for the Wolfpack with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nicholas McKinney while Smith saw the first dual match singles action of his career, taking down Daniel Martens 6-1, 6-0.
Martins Rocens rounded out scoring for NC State as he defeated Alberto Conde 6-1, 6-4.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
South Carolina's matchup with with Wolfpack marks its fifth-straight matchup with a team ranked in the top 25. The Gamecocks own a 4-5 record against top-25 opponents, most recently taking down No. 19 Ole Miss, 5-2.
Three members of South Carolina's teams are ranked in singles action, led by Daniel Rodrigues at No. 32. Raphael Lambling checks in at No. 81 while Connor Thomson is ranked 118th.
Rodrigues and Thomson are both ranked in doubles action as well, tied for No. 44 in the nation. The duo of Lambling and Phillip Jordan checks in at No. 59.
UP NEXT
NC State remains on the road, traveling to Georgia Tech Friday, Mar. 26 and Clemson Sunday, Mar. 28.
#GoPack | @PackMensTennis
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