Lackluster singles play ultimately doomed N.C. State in the opening round of the ACC Tournament, as Virginia took the 4-2 win.
Despite taking the doubles point, the team dropped four out of five singles matches — clinching the Cavaliers’ victory with one match still ongoing.
“Our team came out really strong in the doubles — all three courts,” coach Hans Olsen said. “And then in singles, on some of our courts, the girls just were flat and that’s not the way we play.”
It was a repeat performance of the team’s earlier matchup with the Cavaliers, where despite taking the doubles point, the Wolfpack fell in four singles duels. But that game featured three third-set losses — this time it was not as close.
“I was expecting a battle on every court, and that’s what we need to do to be successful. We’re not going to blow anybody out,” Olsen said.
“We need to be fighting for every ball on every court and if we do that — when the smoke clears in the end — most of the time we’re victorious. But to only have that on certain courts, that doesn’t work for us.”
Only one player, freshman Kate Green, forced her opponent into the third set, but it was made moot and canceled once Virginia clinched the match.
“The young players have had a tremendous year to this point,” Olsen said. “And hopefully they’ve learned today and hopefully we’ll get another shot playing at the next level. We’ll have to wait and see if that happens.”
Freshman Daria Petrovic fell in straight sets, and was the first player off the court in singles play — a surprising result for the No. 94 player in the nation.
“We relaxed too much before the singles and we didn’t start as strong as we did for the doubles point,” sophomore Alejandra Guerra said.
Guerra put the Pack up 2-1 with her straight-sets victory, but the next three matches completed all went in favor of the Cavaliers, thus ending the match.
“I give credit to Virginia. Both times we got the doubles point and it made them hungrier than we were in the singles,” Guerra said.
With their win to clinch the doubles point, the 24th-ranked doubles pairing of Petrovic and Guerra completed their ninth win in the last 10 matches.
But if they, or any other team member wants to build on a season in which the team didn’t once drop out of the top-50, they will need to get a bid to the NCAA Championships.
“We’ve got everything to be at the same level as those top teams,” Guerra said.
There are 64 teams invited to the NCAA Championships, and conference tournament champions receive automatic bids. State closes out the year 13-10 overall, but was ranked in the top 50 all year — and is currently No. 37.
“They’ve had quality wins over Duke, South Carolina, SMU,” Olsen said. “I think they’ve earned that possibility. If we’re in [the NCAA Championships], we’re going to be a tough team.”
