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NC State Men’s Tennis Dual-Match Campaign Comes to an End in NCAA Championships Second Round
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After advancing past the first round of the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2014, the 19th-ranked NC State men’s tennis team fell just short to Tennessee as the Volunteers won the second-round battle, 4-2, Saturday afternoon at the Goodfriend Tennis Center.
With the loss, the Wolfpack’s incredible dual-match campaign comes to a close. The Pack ends the 2019 season with a 19-11 record as it amassed the most single-season victories since the 2012 campaign when it picked up 20 wins on the year. After its second consecutive selection to the NCAA Championships, NC State advanced to the second round of the national tournament for just the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2014.
The NCAA Championships wrapped up a historic 2019 campaign for the Pack during which it finished the regular season with an 8-4 record in ACC play, marking the most league wins in a single season in program history. NC State also went on to make history as the program’s first-ever squad to advance to the ACC Championship semifinals.
MATCH RECAP:
The Volunteers picked up a pair of doubles wins to clinch the opening point. No. 6 Preston Touliatos and Timo Stodder go the first victory of the day for Tennessee with a 6-2 win over 44th-ranked Alexis Galarneau and Michael Ogden, and Adam Walton and Andrew Rogers’s 6-3 win over Tadas Babelis and Yannai Barkai gave the Volunteers the doubles point.
After dropping the first sets in five of six singles matches, the Wolfpack forced third sets on three of those courts.
Touliatos defeated Barkai 6-4, 6-2 in the only match to finish in straight sets to push Tennessee’s lead to 2-0.
Babelis put NC State on the board, defeating Scott Jones 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, and Robert Turzak tied the match score at two with his 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Luca Wiedenmann.
In a top-25 matchup on court one, No. 23 Stodder emerged victorious over 21st-ranked Galarneau. Stodder’s 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 win put the Volunteers a match away from the clinch.
After dropping their first sets, Georgiy Malyshev and Igor Saveljic sent their matches into tight third sets, but Tennessee clinched on court two as No. 50 Walton defeated Igor 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-5 to send the Volunteers on to the next round.
UP NEXT:
Galarneau will prepare for the NCAA Singles Championships, which will take place from May 20-25 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. following the conclusion of the team championships.
RESULTS:
Tennessee 4, NC State 2
Doubles
Order of finish: (1, 3)
1. #6 Preston Touliatos/Timo Stodder (UT) def. #44 Alexis Galarneau/Michael Ogden(NC State) 6-2
2. Scott Jones/Pat Harper (UT) vs. Igor Saveljic/Ivan Saveljic (NC State) 3-3, unfinished
3. Adam Walton/Andrew Rogers (UT) def. Tadas Babelis/Yannai Barkai (NC State) 6-3
Singles
Order of finish: (5, 3, 4, 1, 2)
1. #23 Timo Stodder (UT) def. #21 Alexis Galarneau (NC State) 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
2. #51 Adam Walton (UT) def. Igor Saveljic (NC State) 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-5
3. Tadas Babelis (NC State) def. Scott Jones (UT) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
4. Robert Turzak (NC State) def. Luca Wiedenmann (UT) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
5. Preston Touliatos (UT) def. Yannai Barkai (NC State) 6-4, 6-2
6. Andrew Rogers (UT) vs. Georgiy Malyshev (NC State) 7-5, 6-7 (8), 3-4, unfinished