North Carolina State University Athletics
Daniel, Rencheli Advance to NCAA Singles Round of 32
5/23/2022 4:30:00 PM | Women's Tennis
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – For the first time in program history, NC State women's tennis will have two members of its squad in the second round of the NCAA Singles Championships as graduate Jaeda Daniel and sophomore Abigail Rencheli both advanced on Monday afternoon.
Daniel, who has already secured All-America status in singles as a top-16 seed in the draw, defeated 57th-ranked Ayana Akli of South Carolina in first-round action at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Center. Akli grabbed the first set, but Daniel broke to go up a game in the second set and took control of the final two frames for the 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback victory.
The win marked Daniel's first career NCAA Singles Championships victory in her second appearance in the 64-player draw. It was her 24th singles win of the year and her 12th against a fellow ranked opponent.
Rencheli followed shortly after with a straight-sets win over Alabama's Loudmilla Bencheikh. The Wolfpack sophomore punched her ticket to the second round in 6-1, 6-2 fashion in what was her NCAA Singles Championships debut. Rencheli has now posted a team-leading 28 singles victories during the 2021-22 campaign, with half of those wins coming against nationally-ranked foes.
Daniel moves on to face No. 30 Elizabeth Scotty (UNC) in the Round of 32 on Tuesday, and Rencheli will take on the winner of the match between No. 72 Elaine Chervinsky (Virginia) and No. 56 Thasaporn Naklo (Iowa State).
Both players will also step into action in the NCAA Doubles Championships on Tuesday, as Daniel teams up with Nell Miller and Rencheli pairs with Amelia Rajecki in the national tournament.
All match times, updated opponents and any updates will be communicated on the @PackWTennis Twitter account.
#GoPack | @PackWTennis
Players Mentioned
