Deacs Suffer Sunday Heartbreaker Against Gamecocks

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Out of state for its first true road match of 2023, Wake Forest women's tennis visited South Carolina on Sunday (Feb. 19) for an afternoon showing. After the Demon Deacons (5-5, 0-1) grabbed the doubles point, both sides battled through hours of nail-biting singles play before the host Gamecocks (4-3) held on for a 4-3 victory.

Anna Brylin shined on Sunday, collecting her first ranked win in singles this season. Additionally, the graduate student now holds 152 combined singles and doubles wins. Her solo victory on Sunday moved her to No. 22 on the all-time program list, passing former teammate Anna Ulyashchenko. Brylin currently paces Wake Forest with an 8-1 singles record.

Having played together in each of the 10 matches, Mia Ahmad/Casie Wooten posted a fourth straight doubles win.

Brylin and Killingsworth's doubles victory was their fifth of the year, a mark that leads the team.

How it Happened

No. 10 Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth was the first Deacon duo to take a lead in doubles, creating a 4-2 advantage through six games.
After dropping three games, Nevena Carton/Whitley Pate were able to win three of their own.
- However, the freshman pair ultimately fell in third doubles, 6-4.
Brylin/Killingsworth only let up one more game en route to capturing a 6-3 victory on court one.
Mia Ahmad/Casie Wooten made an admirable comeback in second doubles, storming back to finish on top in a 7-5 decision and ultimately clinch the opening point for Wake Forest.
- The win was a fourth consecutive one by the junior tandem.
Holding her own in a ranked match against No. 6 Sarah Hamner, Brylin stepped in front during her first set, 4-1.
- Pate mirrored a 4-1 start of her own in fifth singles.
Wooten, meanwhile, took two games in a row to make her opening period sit at 4-4.
Working to keep her lead, Pate stayed composed to piece together a 6-4 finish.
- She was the second and final Deac to win a first frame of solo play.
After suffering a 6-2 loss in set one, Maddie Lynch caused a 5-5 tie in her set.
Brylin moved into a third period on court two.
South Carolina evened the match score at 1-1 with a win in fourth singles.
- Around the same time, Lynch reached a second-set tiebreaker.
  - The senior rallied through to force a third frame.
The Gamecocks bumped up to a 2-1 advantage after securing a court three victory.
Pate and Wooten soon moved into third sets in their respective matches.
- Each of the four remaining courts all held a three-set showing.
Making a come-from-behind effort, Brylin finished with the upper hand in second singles, notching her first ranked season win.
- The team captain's feat again tied the score, 2-2.
Nevertheless, South Carolina had a quick response, jumping in front once again in the match (3-2) on a court six win.
Carton took a slight 4-3 lead in her third set, while Wooten tied hers at 4-4.
- The former powered through to a 6-3 finish.
  - The match was tied for a third time, as all eyes went to court one.
The final Deac competing, Wooten moved into a tiebreaker during her final frame.
Rallies surged back-and-forth, with the victory up for grabs, as South Carolina needed just enough to escape on a 7-6 third-set mark, clinching the contest.
Wake Forest fell, 4-3.

Doubles Results:

No. 10 Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth (WF) def. Ayana Akli/Gracie Mulville (SC) 6-3
Mia Ahmad/Casie Wooten (WF) def. Allie Gretkowski/Alice Otis (SC) 7-5
McKenna Schaefbauer/Sarah Hamner (SC) def. Nevena Carton/Whitley Pate (WF) 4-6

Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles Results:

No. 13 Ayana Akli (SC) def. No. 29 Casie Wooten (WF) 5-7, 6-4, 6-7
Anna Brylin (WF) def. No. 6 Sarah Hamner (SC) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
Gracie Mulville (SC) def. Brooke Killingsworth (WF) 3-6, 4-6
Elise Mills (SC) def. Nevena Carton (WF) 2-6, 3-6
Whitley Pate (WF) def. Misa Malkin (SC) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Alice Otis (SC) def. Maddie Lynch (WF) 2-6, 7-6, 2-6

Order of Finish: 4, 3, 2, 6, 5, 1

Up Next

A yearly event is next on the Deacs' radar – the 75th annual Blue Gray National Tennis Classic. Competition will be held in Montgomery, Alabama. Competition is slated to run Feb. 24-25.

Last season, Wake Forest advanced to the championship match, taking on Oklahoma State, which was ranked seventh in the country at the time.

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Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Mia Ahmad

Anna Brylin

Nevena Carton

Brooke Killingsworth

Maddie Lynch

Whitley Pate

Casie Wooten