Wake Forest University
Tennessee
Deacs’ Spring Comes to a Close in NCAA Championships' Round of 32 Versus Host Vols
5/6/2023 8:22:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Wake Forest battled hard through Saturday evening against No. 15-seeded Tennessee.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Following a memorable Friday effort in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Championships, Wake Forest women's tennis continued its play into the Round of 32 on Saturday evening (May 6), facing the host squad, No. 15-seeded Tennessee (21-5). The Demon Deacons showed noticeable fight on several courts but ultimately fell to the Vols in a 4-1 finish.
Wake Forest ends its spring season with a 18-14 overall record, including a seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament. Additionally, the team's Round of 32 showing was its fifth year in a row.
Freshman Whitley Pate was a bright spot for the Deacs, racking up an impressive singles victory through two sets of action. The Daniel Island, South Carolina native posted nine solo wins throughout her first year of collegiate competition.
Playing in neutral sites, Wake Forest went 5-4 during the 2023 campaign.
How it Happened
- Mia Ahmad/Casie Wooten were the first Deacs to start solidly in doubles, as their first two games were won.
- No. 24 Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth and Nevena Carton/Whitley Pate each won their fourth games.
- Brylin/Killingsworth immediately picked up two more in a row to even court one at 3-3.
- Carton/Pate hung close by in third doubles, trailing 4-3.
- The freshmen pairing soon tied the margin at 4-4, with Brylin/Killingsworth doing the same on their court.
- Tennessee took second doubles in a 6-2 fashion.
- The Vols soon secured the opening point with a 6-4 victory on court one.
- Killingsworth started with a 2-0 lead early in third singles.
- Meanwhile, Carton took four of her first five games, while Brylin held a slight 3-2 advantage.
- Killingsworth and Wootenwent on to tie their match at 3-3 in the first frame.
- Pate became the first Deac to win a set, pushing for a 6-3 mark.
- Carton followed with a 6-3 clip of her own.
- Merely minutes later, Killingsworth found herself in a first-set tiebreaker.
- Tennessee went up 2-0 after notching a second-singles win.
- Wooten also entered a tiebreaker in her first frame.
- Pate put Wake Forest on the board in a straight-sets showing on court five.
- The Vols increased their advantage to 3-1 after finishing victorious in sixth singles.
- Carton reached a third set, as Wooten and Killingsworth stayed competitive on courts one and three, respectively.
- Tennessee clinched the match in third singles.
- Wake Forest fell, 4-1.
Doubles Results:
- No. 45 Rebeka Mertena/Esther Adeshina (TENN) def. No. 24 Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth (WF) 4-6
- Lauren Anzalotta/Catherine Aulia (TENN) def. Mia Ahmad/Casie Wooten (WF) 2-6
- Nevena Carton/Whitley Pate (WF) vs. Daria Kuczer/Eleonora Molinaro (TENN) 5-4, unfinished.
Order of Finish: 2, 1
Singles Results:
- No. 57 Casie Wooten (WF) vs. No. 21 Elza Tomase (TENN) 6-7 (5-7), 2-4, unfinished.
- No. 27 Rebeka Mertena (TENN) def. No. 73 Anna Brylin (WF) 1-6, 1-6
- No. 48 Daria Kuczer (TENN) def. Brooke Killingsworth (WF) 6-7 (8-10), 2-6
- Nevena Carton (WF) vs. Eleonora Molinaro (TENN) 6-3, 4-6, 2-1, unfinished.
- Whitley Pate (WF) def. Esther Adeshina (TENN) 6-3, 6-2
- Lauren Anzalotta (TENN) def. Jingyi Li (WF) 1-6, 4-6
Order of Finish: 2, 5, 6, 3
From the Head Honcho
"It is always tough when the season comes to an end, especially with this group because of the way they approached everything -- how they believed in being great teammates before worrying about being great players, and how they fought their way to another very successful season for this program," noted head coach Jeff Wyshner. "We have a lot of really great moments, both on and off the court, to remember and treasure. I especially want to thank Anna and Maddie for what they meant to this team this year and all they've done for the program in their great Wake careers! Go Deacs!"
2023 Spring Highlights
- Wake Forest tallied an 18-14 overall record this spring, including five wins over Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents and seven over nationally-ranked programs.
- The team played some of its best at home, going 12-4 in 16 appearances at its tennis center.
- In the opening stages of the 2023 postseason, Wake Forest competed as the No. 9-seed in the ACC Tennis Championships, held at the Cary Tennis Park in Cary, North Carolina.
- The Deacons ultimately knocked off No. 8-seeded Notre Dame in the second round during a come-from-behind victory before advancing to the quarterfinals for the seventh-straight year, dating back to 2015-16.
- Wake Forest's appearance in this year's NCAA Tournament included its seventh-straight year and 22nd throughout program history.
- The team's win over Arizona State was its biggest comeback of the year, trailing 3-1 at a midpoint within the match.
- The Deacons held a national ranking all spring long, making its way into the top 25 on four separate occasions.
- Wake Forest found notable success during the last week of February, winning the 75th annual Blue Gray Classic in Montgomery, Alabama. Junior Casie Wooten was named Most Valuable Player of the event for her efforts.
- From Feb. 24 to March 5, the Deacs enjoyed a six-match winning streak.
- An All-ACC Third Team pick in 2022, team captain Anna Brylin made the most of her final year of collegiate action, leading Wake Forest with an 18-6 record in singles.
- Through doubles, Brylin and Brooke Killingsworth teamed up for the third season in a row, maintaining a national ranking and going 15-8 overall in dual competition.
- The pair is currently fourth all-time in wins (59) as a duo throughout program history, while also being one of two Deacon tandems to have collected 50 or more wins.
- Killingsworth, Nevena Carton, and Casie Wooten all recorded double-figures in solo wins.
- Carton was a standout in her freshman campaign, finishing 16-10 in singles for the second-most wins on the squad.
- Senior Maddie Lynch took on a bigger role this year in mainly operating out of the fifth or sixth singles spot and embracing a few clutch performances. She provided the clinching point in three matches.
- The Deacs captured sweeps in five matches, all but one happening on their home courts.
Up Next
With its team play officially wrapped for the spring, Wake Forest will soon represent in the 2023 NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, as three of its players were chosen to compete.
Casie Wooten made the cut for singles, while Anna Brylin/Brooke Killingsworth earned a place within the doubles pool. Each Deac earned an at-large selection. Additionally, Brylin was named to the singles' alternate list.
This will be the third career appearance for Brylin/Killingsworth in doubles and second total for Wooten in the event, as she partook in the doubles section last year.
Individual competition is slated to take place from May 22-27 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida, following the conclusion of the team championship, which runs from May 17-20. This year's event will be conducted jointly with the NCAA Divisions II and III Men's and Women's Tennis Championships and hosted by the University of Central Florida and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
2,5,6,3
Players Mentioned
