Tennis Falls In ACC Tourney

Both the men’s and women’s Boston College tennis teams were eliminated in the first round of the ACC Tournament last Thursday at the Cary Tennis Complex in North Carolina. The North Carolina State Wolfpack defeated both squads, with the men falling 4-0 while the women were defeated 4-3. The loss ended the men’s season, but the women still have a chance to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. That announcement will come on May 1, but the first-round exit to go along with a 10-13 final record may place the Eagles on the outside looking in regarding tournament hopes.

The 11th-seed men’s team faced eighth-seed NC State Thursday afternoon, putting up a good fight before eventually falling to the Wolfpack. Doubles combinations of seniors Akash Muppidi with Alex Skinner, as well as freshman Matt Wagner with junior Billy Grokenberger, both lost their matches 8-5. Although freshman Philip Nelson and sophomore Michael McGinnis did not finish their match, they ended it trailing 6-3. NC State would go on to win the first three singles matches, sealing the victory and ending some of the single matches early. The loss dropped the Eagles to 6-15 on the season, as well as 1-9 in ACC play.

Coming in as the eight seed, the women’s team faced the ninth-seed Wolfpack in a series that wasn’t decided until the final set. NC State jumped to a 2-0 lead over BC, as the Pack secured the doubles point and then earned the first singles point as well. Senior Katarina Gajic earned a point for the Eagles in her singles match before the Wolfpack earned another singles point of their own to make it 3-1. Freshman Jessica Wacnik and junior Kelly Barry both won singles matches to tie the series up at three apiece. Senior Erina Kikuchi faced NC State’s Joelle Kissell in a rematch from earlier in the year that Kikuchi won, but Kissell had the upper hand this time in a three-set match, earning the final point and allowing the Wolfpack to advance in the tournament.