Wake Tennis: The Final Stretch

We’re coming down to the wire of both classes (as a graduating senior I just cringed) and of the collegiate season. The Men and Women Demon Deacon tennis teams have been on two different courses this season but both look to do make some noise heading into the final week of the season.

Starting with the lady Deacons, injuries have played a major role with defining this season, even at times having to forfeit a line of doubles and singles(but still getting the win). They lost an absolute heartbreaker against NC State but bounce back against Louisville in their home finale. A couple of not great losses both in and out of conference knocked them down in the standing and the ITA rankings (which has all but ended the idea of both of the Men and Women hosting a regional). They still come in at 28th in the country and can grab some momentum going into the ACC tournament. The lady Deacs fell today in a rough one but could grab a quality win on the road against UVA who is ranked #22. A nice road win against UVA would do wonders for their ranking matching their best win which was indoors against Auburn if not beat it. If you aren’t hosting a regional, you want to be as close to number 16 as you can to try to get the “easiest” road to the NCAA’s outside of being a host. If Wake can rattle off an upset of UVA and then probably a rematch against NC State in the ACC tournament, they would be poised to push closer to being a 2 seed in a regional rather than a 3 seed. If they drop UVA and their first match in the ACC tourney... things get a bit murky. They’re a lock to make the tournament but you never want to keep dropping and end up in a regional with say UNC or Duke.

The Men’s team has had a bit of a different story. Even with close loses to UF(who I’m not shocked is good this year) and a shock loss to FSU on the road. Things are a bit wonky at the top but after a cruising 7-0 victory today over Boston College, Wake Forest is temporarily atop the ACC leaderboard. If UNC beats FSU today (which at the time of this writing seems like it’s gonna go that way) all Wake would have to do to clinch the ACC regular season title would be to beat NC State at home on Sunday. If Wake locks up the 1 seed in that tournament (and barring a slip up in the ACC tournament 1 seed overall in the country) their path gets substantially easier. From what it looks like now their road to an ACC tournament title would be UVA, Duke, and a titanic final against UNC. Regardless of what happens from here on out the Deacs are a lock to host a regionals meaning after the ACC tournament they will never have to play away from Winston-Salem. This could be a special one for the Deacs.