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Friday, March 29, 2024
The Observer

ND to take on Hokies, No. 4 Wolfpack

Fresh off a thrilling 4-3 victory over No. 22 USC, the Irish will begin a two-match home stand against No. 4 NC State and Virginia Tech. These contests mark the start of ACC play for Notre Dame women’s tennis (7-3), and home wins are essential when competing in such an elite conference.

For the Irish, junior Ally Bojczuk played a key role in the victory over the Trojans and briefly earned an ITA singles ranking, while talented veterans such as junior Cameron Corse and senior Zoe Spence are looking to gain some national attention of their own. Irish head coach Alison Silverio seemed confident in her team due to their aggressive mentality going into this weekend’s events.

“For us, it’s going to be business as usual,” Silverio said. “We understand that we are going into the ACC season with momentum, and we will continue to bring our championship mindset of competitiveness into every single match. The ACC is the toughest conference in the country, so there is an opportunity in these contests to get better, develop and become the best. This is ultimately what our goal is, and we are looking forward to these opportunities for growth this weekend.”

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Former Irish women's tennis team member Brooke Broda looks to return the ball during a 7-0 victory over Ball State on Jan. 23, 2019.
Former Irish women's tennis team member Brooke Broda looks to return the ball during a 7-0 victory over Bowling Green on Jan. 23, 2019.


NC State (13-2) could be the most difficult challenge yet for the Irish as they have already defeated multiple ranked opponents, including No. 5 Princeton, No. 8 Georgia and No. 30 South Carolina. The Wolfpack went 11-3 in ACC play last seasoned have a strong chance to replicate this feat as they boast three top 50 players in the singles category. This fact presents an opportunity for many Notre Dame players to add a valuable ranked win to their resumes. NC State is particularly strong in doubles, as sophomore Alana Smith and senior Anna Rogers comprise the No. 2 duo in collegiate tennis. The pairing of junior Jaeda Daniel and senior Adriana Reami is also ranked 13th nationally.

Virginia Tech (7-1, 01 ACC) is already close to matching their win total from the 2019 season, when they went 9-16, and look to be a much-improved program. The Hokies are eager to earn their first conference win of the season and could give the Irish some trouble. Junior Nika Kozar and freshman Erika Cheng headline a deep roster having only lost a combined two matches in singles play. Consequently, Notre Dame will need strong performances across all courts to secure this victory.

The Irish will face NC State at 5 p.m. on Friday before challenging Virginia Tech at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Both matches will be located in the Eck Tennis Pavilion. Looking ahead to next weekend, Notre Dame will travel to the East Coast and compete against Syracuse and Boston College before playing their last out of conference match versus in-state rival Indiana.