The J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center is home to two programs that have reached new heights and aim higher for the spring season.
Much like their female counterparts, the men’s tennis team will start the year with unprecedented recognition after a record-setting season a year ago.
In coach Jon Choboy’s fifth season, N.C. State will start the year ranked 37th, its highest preseason ranking, and with two singles players ranked in the top 100 — another first. Junior Nick Cavaday is ranked No. 99 and sophomore Jay Weinacker is tied with five others at No. 100.
“Last year and this fall, those things help get us off to a better start,” Choboy said. “Getting 20 wins last year and few other records we have, those things help. They certainly aren’t bad. I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
Last year’s team concluded the season with two 4-3 losses, one to Clemson in the conference tournament and the other to Boise State in the NCAA Tournament, after it won 20 games for the first time in school history.
“They were both really tough losses. We had beat Clemson the last time we played them 4-3 and then we got in the ACC Tournament and lost 4-3,” senior William Noblitt said. “We were all disappointed but we realized we had a good year, and we can come out this year and have a better season and go further.”
Also hoping to go farther for the Wolfpack is Jay Weinacker. The Alabama native became the school record holder with 23 wins – all of them coming in straight sets.
Because four of his six losses were in longer matches, Weinacker said he had to improve on freshman mistakes and mental toughness in the more grueling duels.
“Something last year, I showed a bit of immaturity in some of the matches. I would have some match points in the second set to close it out in straight sets, and I wouldn’t win it. Then I’d think about that in the third set and get down on myself,” Weinacker said. “I want to make a difference in that, but I think I already have. At Tulsa at the All-American [Championships] I won two three-set matches, one over a guy ranked No. 50 in the country.”
The other player ranked, Cavaday, returns after playing all but one match at the top seed, and facing almost every team’s best player in the brutal ACC.
Like Weinacker, Cavaday hopes his work in the off-season will help him go as far as it takes to win matches against difficult opponents.
“I did a lot of work in the summer physically,” Cavaday said. “I came back in much better shape so when I go on the court I feel like it’s a non-issue how long I’m there for, conditions like heat or anything like that.”
Noblitt, last year’s third seed from Shelby, N.C., earned first-team All-ACC honors and was the only Pack player to do so after a sturdy 20-7 record.
“He’s certainly not playing at a lower level than he did last year, so I don’t expect that to be any different than he was last year,” Choboy said.
According to Choboy, freshman James McGee has proven himself in the fall and should join the three stated above in battling for the top four seeds.
Noblitt, Weinacker, Cavaday and McGee all knocked off ranked opponents in these prestigious fall tournaments. It marked the first time that many players had scored wins over ranked opponents in a year.
“We played in the biggest tournaments they had,” Choboy said. “Really, they’re kind of the NCAA’s of the fall. Guys get in based on how they did the year before. You have to qualify for this; not just anybody can get in it. It’s a big deal. The elite players in the country are allowed to play in it.”
Senior Andre Iriarte also looks to bolster the lineup, as he is almost like a newcomer this year after missing most of last season’s action. Iriarte had won seven matches at second seed in the spring, but a freak accident that ended with him losing two fingernails because of a door slam caused him to miss the rest of the year.
“That’s going to be huge for us, because he contributed a lot his first two years,” Noblitt said of Iriarte’s return. “Last year was unfortunate when he got hurt and could never really get back in it. We missed him in the lineup.”
The doubles’ point took a hit when the senior pairing of Will Shaw and Val Banada graduated last spring. The two were ranked No. 56 in doubles at year’s end.
“They had done really well in doubles for us,” Choboy said. “In reality, I think we’re better in doubles this year because we’re more experienced and guys are just playing better.”
The schedule provides its usual challenges within the conference — eight ACC teams are ranked above State despite the ranking. As the team has gained notoriety, the out-of-conference matches now feature better teams with two NCAA Tournament participants, Louisville and William and Mary.
“I actually had to turn down a number of people who wanted to play us,” Choboy said. “Even when we’re having non-ACC teams, we’re having two or three teams a day … Non-ACC matches are very tough too — we’ll be very tested.”
