Wake Forest University
Northwestern (First Round)
Deacs Advance to NCAA Round of 32 with Win over Wildcats
5/7/2022 2:07:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Senior Carolyn Campana delivered in the clutch on Saturday!
ATHENS, Ga. – A collective focus was evident among No. 23 Wake Forest women's tennis, as the Demon Deacons (17-10) stepped into their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance on Saturday morning (May 7).
A stellar doubles showing led to three additional victories in singles, giving Wake Forest a 4-2 first-round win over No. 40 Northwestern (14-10).
The Deacons move on to face the winner of No. 13 Georgia-Charleston Southern tomorrow (Sunday, May 8) at 1 p.m. for a Round of 32 showing.
The win capped a season sweep over the Wildcats for the Deacs, who defeated Northwestern back on Jan. 29 in the '2022 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Kick-Off Weekend,' held in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Additionally, it was the first time all season that a Deacon clinched a team match victory in a three-set performance. Senior standout No. 32 Carolyn Campana was the one to provide the answer, going for her sixth national win in a bounce-back over No. 82 Clarissa Hand.
Wake Forest moved to seven wins over ranked opponents this spring.
From the Head Honcho
"It's that time of year when you are just excited to get out there and find a way to get through and earn one more opportunity on the court," noted head coach Jeff Wyshner. "We played a very good doubles point and were really pleased with how our No. 1 (doubles) came out and did what they should be able to do for us. The other two doubles courts were battles, but we got one of those. In singles, Sam (Samantha Martinelli) and Anna (Anna Brylin) put two more points up quickly and everything else was close. Carolyn (Campana) was phenomenal, and her sister (Anna Campana) — we had lost to both of these (Northwestern) players back in January. To put those matches where we did was fantastic. Great job from the group. It was a team effort the way it turned out, and we are excited to play one more day."
From the Senior
"As far as my play today, it was definitely a little rough in the beginning," admitted Carolyn Campana. "I became used to the courts – we are pretty familiar with the courts because we have been here many years in a row. (Clarissa Hand) is a tricky player to play against, so it took me a bit to get into a flow."
"In regards to moving on to tomorrow, I am just excited for the opportunity. Georgia is a top-16 seed and they're a great team. We are not going to celebrate too much because we have another one tomorrow, so we are going to stay humble with it all."
How it Happened
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During doubles, No. 5 Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth were dominant from the start, winning three of the first four games on court one.
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Mia Ahmad and Peyton Pesavento dropped their first two games before tying things at 3 even.
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No. 27 Samantha Martinelli/Casie Wooten fought to keep their match close on court two, trailing 4-3.
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Brylin and Killingsworth wrapped play in first doubles quickly, only giving up one game whilst coasting to a 6-1 victory.
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Ahmad and Pesavento caught fire in their final pair of games, securing the doubles point on a 6-3 clip.
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Underway in singles, Brylin and Killingsworth each won their opening three games in set one.
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Brylin was the first Deacon to win a set (6-2).
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Martinelli was second on Wake Forest to capture a first-set victory, hanging on for a 7-5 finish.
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Carolyn Campana mounted an exceptional comeback win in her opening frame (6-4).
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Brylin stayed hot in her second period of play, taking four straight games.
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The senior grabbed a final pair of games en route to a second-set sweep, concluding her match in winning fashion.
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Martinelli finished victoriously over in fourth singles through straight sets, boosting the Wake Forest lead to 3-0.
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Killingsworth, Carolyn Campana, and Anna Campana all soon stepped into a third frame.
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Northwestern won in third singles.
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Anna Campana seized absolute control in her third set (4-0 at the time).
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The Wildcats added a second team point on court six.
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Carolyn Campana traded a few rallies before jumping in front, eventually ending as the deciding factor in giving her Deacs the tournament victory.
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Wake Forest defeated Northwestern, 4-2.
Doubles Results
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No. 5 Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth (WF) def. Clarissa Hand/Maria Shusharina (NU) 6-1
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Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NU) vs. No. 27 Samantha Martinelli/Casie Wooten (WF) 5-3, unfinished.
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Mia Ahmad/Peyton Pesavento (WF) def. Sydney Pratt/Hannah McColgan (NU) 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 3
Singles Results
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No. 32 Carolyn Campana (WF) def. No. 82 Clarissa Hand (NU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
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Anna Campana (WF) vs. Maria Shusharina (NU) 6-3, 3-6, 5-3, unfinished.
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Sydney Pratt (NU) def. No. 111 Casie Wooten (WF) 6-1, 7-6 (2)
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Samantha Martinelli (WF) def. Ema Lazic (NU) 7-5, 6-1
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Anna Brylin (WF) def. Briana Crowly (NU) 6-2, 6-0
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Christina Hand (NU) def. Brooke Killingsworth (WF) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 3, 6, 1
Up Next
Wake Forest will play the winner of No. 13 Georgia-Charleston Southern on Sunday (May 8) at 1 p.m. in the Round of 32.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
5,4,3,6,1
Players Mentioned
