Wake Forest University
Tennessee
Demon Deacons Travel to Columbus for Annual ITA Kickoff Weekend
1/26/2023 12:27:00 PM | Women's Tennis
A field of ranked competition makes up Wake Forest’s out-of-state stay.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest women's tennis team hits the road for the second time in two weeks, heading to Columbus, Ohio for the 14th annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Kickoff Weekend.
No. 12 Ohio State will serve as the host institution for the two days of competition (Jan. 27-28). Live stats and live streaming will be available.
The Demon Deacons (2-0) have their first ranked matchup of 2023 on Friday (Jan. 27) – facing No. 12 Tennessee at 1 p.m. ET in the tournament's opening round.
Saturday (Jan. 28) will feature both championship and consolation rounds at 4 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET, respectively.
This past Sunday (Jan. 22), Wake Forest kicked off dual match play with wins over Charlotte and Richmond in the team's first spring appearances at home.
Over the last four seasons, the Deacs have totaled a 4-4 record in the yearly ITA Kickoff event.
The Matches
Friday, Jan. 27 – Wake Forest vs. No. 22 Tennessee – 1 p.m. ET
Saturday, Jan. 28 – Wake Forest vs. TBD – 4 p.m. ET or 7 p.m. ET
Last Time Out
Playing on its own courts and in dual match competition for the first time in 2023, the Wake Forest women's tennis team (2-0) collected victories over Charlotte and Richmond on Sunday (Jan. 22) in the Demon Deacons' spring season home opener.
Anna Brylin, Nevena Carton, and Casie Wooten all went undefeated in both singles and doubles play throughout the day.
Over the last four seasons, the Deacs have protected their home center well, standing at a 34-9 overall mark.
Wake Forest moved to 9-0 in the all-time series against Charlotte, along with now holding a 16-3 clip over Richmond.
Match 1 – Wake Forest 4, Charlotte 3
The Deacs had a quick start in doubles action, earning comfortable wins on courts one and three to firstly place on the scoreboard.
Brylin and Wooten held the upper hand throughout their solo matches, as Wake Forest grew its lead to 3-0. After Charlotte picked up a win in straight seconds on court two, Carton used exceptional second-set play to provide the clinching point for Wake Forest.
Match 2 – Wake Forest 5, Richmond 2
Similar to the Charlotte outing, Wake Forest's doubles pairs gained early leads to ultimately notch the first point, followed by strong, immediate presences in singles.
Brooke Killingsworth stayed on a roll from the early going, giving up only one game during her match win. Brylin mirrored her doubles partner in third singles, also winning all but one of her games. Wooten clinched the match point in another confident showing.
Carton picked up steam through late rallies to join Brylin and Wooten as the third Deacon to secure a victory within a span that happened in less than 20 minutes.
Richmond added points in the final remaining matches of fifth and sixth singles.
About a Year Ago …
Last spring, Wake Forest took the short trip to nearby Raleigh for the 2022 ITA Kickoff Weekend, held on NC State's campus grounds.
During day one, the Deacons picked up a 4-2 redemption victory over Northwestern, having fallen to the Wildcats back in the 2021 ITA Kickoff championship match. Anna Brylin and Casie Wooten led their squad in singles, with Brylin and Brooke Killingsworth also notching a doubles win.
In the championship match a day later (Jan. 30, 2022), Wake Forest faced NC State, ranked No. 8 in the ITA standings at the time. The Wolfpack ultimately took home the crown in a 4-0 decision.
Meet Your Captain
Wake Forest women's tennis determined graduate student Anna Brylin to once again be a team captain, announced by head coach Jeff Wyshner on Monday (Jan. 23).
This is Brylin's second consecutive nod as a captain.
"I am very happy for Anna having been chosen by her teammates," said Coach Wyshner. "She has always been a great member of this team and definitely embodies the characteristics of leadership and being a great teammate that this year's team has chosen to make a point of emphasis."
The most experienced member on the Demon Deacons' roster, Brylin is in her fifth season with the program and has been a standout contributor over the years. A year ago, the Short Hills, New Jersey, native tied for the team lead in singles victories (16) while making 27 spring appearances en route to landing a spot on the All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Third Team. Brylin started the 2022 spring in an exceptional manner, taking nine of her first ten solo matches. Twelve of her season wins occurred in straight sets.
Having teamed with junior Brooke Killingsworth in doubles since August 2020, Brylin and her partner rank as one of the top tandems in the country, currently standing at No. 12 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings. This past fall, the two won the A1 Doubles title in Wake Forest's hosted ITA Carolina Regionals, ultimately securing a berth to the ITA Fall Nationals for the second year in a row. Last spring, Brylin/Killingsworth upped their ranking to as high as No. 2, tallying a 15-6 overall record and taking down five ranked foes. The Deacon duo ultimately made their way into the 2022 NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships and received ITA All-American recognition, becoming the fifth all-time Wake Forest doubles team to notch such honors. Prior to the Deacs' home opener versus Charlotte this past weekend (Jan. 22), Brylin and Killingsworth had their All-American banners unveiled in the university's Indoor Tennis Center.
Ranked Deacs
Wake Forest currently has three individuals listed within the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings:
ITA Singles:
No. 27 – Casie Wooten
ITA Doubles:
No. 12 – Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth
Series History
Versus Tennessee
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Series: Wake Forest leads, 17-14
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Last Time: Jan. 31, 2021
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Result: L, 2-5
Versus Old Dominion
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Series: Wake Forest leads, 11-2
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Last Time: March 28, 2021
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Result: L, 1-4
Versus Ohio State
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Series: Tied at 2-2
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Last Time: Jan. 25, 2020
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Result: L, 0-4
Scouting the Opposition
Per the latest ITA team rankings, Tennessee was slotted at No. 22. Friday's match against Wake Forest will be the team's first dual match of the season. Three Vols currently hold individual rankings:
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No. 55 – Daria Kuczer (ITA Singles)
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No. 68 – Elza Tomase (ITA Singles)
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No. 76 – Rebeka Mertena (ITA Singles)
Coming off a season-opening win over then-No. 4 Oklahoma, the host Ohio State Buckeyes stand at No. 12 in the country. The team is set to play Old Dominion on the first day of this weekend's event (Friday, Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. ET). Several Ohio State members are scattered among national rankings:
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No. 15 – Sydni Ratliff (ITA Singles)
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No. 30 – Irina Cantos Siemers (ITA Singles)
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No. 31 – Irina Cantos Siemers/Sydni Ratliff (ITA Doubles)
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No. 116 – Kolie Allen (ITA Singles)
Old Dominion has started the spring campaign on a 2-0 note after grabbing wins over Penn State and Columbia. The Monarchs are also scheduled to visit Wake Forest next week (Feb. 5) during the Deacs' Sunday doubleheader. Four of Old Dominion's seven players are ranked:
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No. 37 – Tatsiana Sasnouskaya (ITA Singles)
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No. 52 – Allison Isaacs/Alexandra Viktorovich (ITA Doubles)
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No. 112 – Shahar Biran (ITA Singles)
Up Next
Wake Forest returns home for a weekend doubleheader next Sunday (Feb. 5) versus Old Dominion and Campbell.
Players Mentioned
