Deacs Prep for Two Big Four Matches on the Road

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Two final weeks of spring, regular-season play are on deck for No. 24 Wake Forest women's tennis, as the team gears up for two upcoming tests against Big Four opponents.

The Demon Deacons (14-9, 4-5) will first make the short trip to Durham, facing No. 6 Duke on Thursday evening (April 6). Less than 48 hours later, one can find the team in Chapel Hill for a Saturday afternoon matchup with the top-ranked Tar Heels of North Carolina (April 8).

Live stats and live streaming will be available on Thursday for the Duke match. Fans can follow along Saturday's action against North Carolina via live stats.

Wake Forest went 2-1 at home last week, sweeping a Sunday doubleheader (April 2) and picking up its 10th home victory in the process. Anna Brylin and Maddie Lynch were honored in a 'Senior Day' ceremony prior to the first match versus Syracuse.

The Matches

Thursday, April 6 – No. 24 Wake Forest at No. 6 Duke – 5 p.m. ET

Saturday, April 8 – No. 24 Wake Forest at No. 1 North Carolina – 11 a.m. ET

Last Time Out

Friday, March 31 – No. 45 Boston College 5, No. 27 Wake Forest 2

Making a return to its tennis center for the first time in nearly four weeks, Wake Forest brought in Boston College on Friday evening (March 31) for its eighth Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) matchup of the spring. After falling in doubles, the Demon Deacons clawed back in spurts during singles play but fell short in a 5-2 decision by the visitors.

Nevena Carton enjoyed a dominant, individual performance, knotting her 10th season victory in singles.

Wake Forest leads 14-7 in the all-time series over Boston College.

Sunday, April 2 – No. 27 Wake Forest 5, No. 28 Syracuse 2

Following pre-match 'Senior Day' festivities and looking to bounce back from Friday, Wake Forest brought its collective A-game during part one of Sunday's doubleheader. The Deacs breezed through doubles before Casie Wooten completely routed No. 95 Zeynep Erman for her third ranked victory of the spring (6-0, 6-0). She also became Wake Forest's first individual to not surrender a game against a conference opponent in a single match this year.

Syracuse worked to briefly tie the match score at 2 all, but Nevena Carton had an answer on court four, finishing victorious in a straight-sets showing. Anna Brylin was up next to clinch, taking her 15th spring win. The last Deacon remaining, Brooke Killingsworth showcased an all-around gritty performance while making a comeback decision in third singles.

Wake Forest leads 12-4 over Syracuse all-time, having won the last seven matchups in a row dating back to 2018.

Sunday, April 2 – No. 27 Wake Forest 4, Elon 0

Making their way back to the courts for the second half of Sunday, the Demon Deacons again remained dialed in while facing the visiting Phoenix. Doubles was another successful trip around the courts for the Black and Old Gold, followed by comfortable solo showings.

Nevena Carton set the tone in singles, becoming the first Deac to land a win after sweeping her opening set. Casie Wooten and Anna Brylin followed suit, as the latter clinched match point for the second time of the afternoon.

Wake Forest moved to a 7-1 all-time clip over Elon. The team is additionally on a five-match winning streak over the Phoenix that started back in 2014.

New Feats

Casie Wooten notched the 100th combined win through singles and doubles of her collegiate career on Sunday, happening in a singles decision against Syracuse. The junior has paced the No. 1 singles spot for her Deacs this year and is third on the squad in solo wins (11-9).

With 41 combined wins this year, Anna Brylin now has 167 for her career, resting within the top 15 all-time in program history. The graduate student went 4-0 in her appearances throughout the aforementioned Sunday home tilt (April 2). She also recently became the seventh player in program history to reach 90 doubles wins.

First-Year Frenzy

Nevena Carton has maintained her place as a steady contributor in her first collegiate season. The Locust, New Jersey, native is second on the roster in singles wins with 12, a mark that stands second-highest. She is currently enjoying a three-match winning streak, primarily handling the fourth singles position. Carton also has ten doubles victories, all of which have happened alongside classmate Whitley Pate.

Deadly Combination

An experienced tandem, Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth have won their last seven completed matches in doubles. The duo holds a dozen wins this spring, with only four losses. Each of their 16 showings have happened in first doubles. Recently, Brylin/Killingsworth moved to fifth all-time in doubles wins throughout program history, currently at 56.

Ranked Deacs

Wake Forest leaped ahead three spots to No. 24 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) team rankings released earlier this week (April 4). It is the third time this year that the Deacs earned a spot in the ITA's top-25 list. Additionally, three players continue to represent individual rankings:

ITA Singles:

No. 47 – Casie Wooten
No. 66 – Anna Brylin

ITA Doubles:

No. 23 – Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth

Series History

Versus Duke

Series: Duke leads, 60-4
Last Time: April 22, 2022 (ACC Tournament, Quarterfinals)
Result: L, 3-4

Versus North Carolina

Series: North Carolina leads, 45-16
Last Time: April 1, 2022
Result: L, 2-5

Scouting the Opposition

Ranked No. 6 in the country, Duke is 20-2 overall and 9-1 in the conference. The Blue Devils have won nine in a row heading into Thursday, being 13-0 at home. Several players hold national rankings:

No. 5 – Chloe Beck (ITA Singles)
No. 34 – Emma Jackson (ITA Singles)
No. 41 – Chloe Beck/Cameron Morra (ITA Doubles)
No. 76 – Cameron Morra (ITA Singles)
No. 121 – Georgia Drummy (ITA Singles)

At a perfect 24-0 overall clip, North Carolina is the No. 1 ranked team within the ITA standings. The team has won all of its 10 appearances in conference play. Likewise to the Blue Devils, a handful of Tar Heels are scattered across the national rankings:

No. 1 – Fiona Crawley (ITA Singles)
No. 6 – Carson Tanguilig/Fiona Crawley (ITA Doubles)
No. 15 – Reese Brantmeier (ITA Singles)
No. 16 – Carson Tanguilig (ITA Singles)
No. 22 – Reese Brantmeier/Elizabeth Scotty (ITA Doubles)
No. 25 – Abbey Forbes (ITA Singles)
No. 27 – Anika Yarlagadda (ITA Singles)
No. 49 – Carson Tanguilig/Reilly Tran (ITA Doubles)
No. 59 – Elizabeth Scotty/Abbey Forbes (ITA Doubles)
No. 81 – Elizabeth Scotty (ITA Singles)
No. 87 – Reilly Tran (ITA Singles)

Up Next

Wake Forest finishes out the 2023 regular season at home next week, playing Virginia Tech on Friday evening (April 14) before hosting a Sunday doubleheader with contests against Virginia and North Carolina A&T (April 16).

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Anna Brylin

Nevena Carton

Brooke Killingsworth

Maddie Lynch

Whitley Pate

Casie Wooten

Wake Forest Athletics