Demon Deacons Bow Out of 2024 NCAA Championships

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Wrapping up yet another successful season under the leadership of head coach Jeff Wyshner, the Wake Forest women's tennis team dropped its opening match of the 2024 NCAA Championships, 4-1, to Vanderbilt inside the Ty Tucker Tennis Center Saturday morning.

The Demon Deacons (15-14, 6-7 ACC) dropped the doubles point as the Commodores (13-10, 6-7 SEC) took courts one and three. Senior Casie Wooten and sophomore Whitley Pate saw their match go unfinished (4-5).

Senior Brooke Killingsworth notched her 12th victory of the spring as she took down No. 74 Bridget Stammel (6-3, 6-2) in second singles. It marked her fourth ranked win of the season, which is good for second on the team only behind Wooten (seven).

Vanderbilt clinched the match after victories on courts one, three and five.

How It Happened

Vanderbilt took a 1-0 lead into singles play after wins on courts one and two.
- Wooten/Pate remained in a battle on court two and trailed 4-5 when the Commodores clinched the point.
In singles, Blanch earned the first break of the morning and held on to the advantage throughout the first set (6-2).
After going down a break, Carton battled back and evened the first set on court four, 4-4.
Killingsworth was the second Demon Deacon to take a set as she took the first, 6-3, on court two.
Carton forced a first-set tiebreaker in fourth singles, but dropped the set as the Commodores held the set advantage on courts one, three, four and five.
Vanderbilt took a 2-0 lead after a 6-2, 6-0 victory on court one.
Wake Forest cut the deficit in half after Killingsworth's 6-3, 6-2 victory on court two over No. 74 Bridget Stammel.
Courts five and three went to Vanderbilt, as the Commodores clinched the victory, 4-1.
- Courts four and six went unfinished.

Doubles Results:

No. 53 Mohr/Staff (VAN) def. No. 86 Cruz/Killingsworth (WFU) 6-1
Wooten/Pate (WFU) vs. Stammel/Ray (VAN) 4-5, unfinished
Lee/Stevens (VAN) def. Blanch/Ahmad (WFU) 6-4

Order of finish: 1, 3

Singles Results:

No. 13 Celia-Belle Mohr (VAN) def. No. 36 Casie Wooten (WFU) 6-2, 6-0
Brooke Killingsworth (WFU) def. No. 74 Bridget Stammel (VAN) 6-3, 6-2
Valeria Ray (VAN) def. Marcella Cruz (WFU) 6-3, 6-3
Nevena Carton (WFU) vs. Anessa Lee (VAN) 6(0)-7, 2-3, unfinished
Holly Staff (VAN) def. Sankavi Gownder (WFU) 6-2, 6-3
Krystal Blanch (WFU) vs. Amy Stevens (VAN) 6-3, 6-6, unfinished

Order of finish: 1, 2, 5, 3

From Coach Wyshner
"Congrats to Vanderbilt on a well-played match. They got the momentum in doubles and controlled enough singles positions to never quite have to stress.

Right now, I just want to thank this group and especially our four incredible seniors. Mia, Marcella, Brooke and Casie are phenomenal people and players. I just feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach them and to have them lead us. For the three four-year seniors who started at Wake Forest playing in masks, eating take out from the cafeterias and having 90% of their classes virtually, they have just been incredible Wake Forest student athletes. When you work the phone and the tournaments to try to find the right people for your program, you just hope to have it turn out this well. I can't thank them enough! They've set the bar high for our freshmen and sophomores who I know will do their part to lead us into next year."

Season Highlights

The Demon Deacons compiled 15 wins throughout the spring and have now earned double-digit victories in 10-consecutive seasons (excluding the COVID-shortened 202 season).
- Seven of the 15 victories came against ranked teams, with three coming against teams inside the top 30.
The Deacs have now made eight-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances under head coach Jeffrey Wyshner. Wake Forest is one of just 21 schools to accomplish this feat as well as one of six ACC institutions to do so.
Individually, the Deacs were led by senior captain Casie Wooten, who finished with a team-best 15-wins in dual play (22 overall).
- The Torrance, Calif.-native racked up seven wins over ranked opponents, including the highest ranked win over her career with a three-set victory over South Carolina's Ayana Akli (No. 3) on Feb. 17.
- Earlier this week, Wooten was selected for the 2024 Singles Championships for the second year in a row. The tournament will take place in Stillwater, Okla. from May 20-25.
In doubles, Wake Forest once again held one of the top pairings in the country with senior Brooke Killingsworth and graduate student Marcella Cruz.
- The duo earned 12 wins in first doubles during the spring, which also helped the Demon Deacons secure 12 doubles points.
Killingsworth not only got it done in doubles, but she also had the most successful singles campaign of her career, racking up 12 wins while competing in second singles.
- She picked up four ranked wins this season, including the highest ranked win over her career over No. 37 Abigail Rencheli of NC State.
Freshman Sankavi Gownder wrapped up an stellar first year in the Old Gold & Black, as she finished second on the team in dual play with 14 wins, including her first-career ranked victory against Tennessee's Eleonora Molinaro (No. 100).
In total, the Demon Deacons had six players record double-digit singles victories in dual play this campaign.
- Casie Wooten - 15 wins
- Sankavi Gownder - 14 wins
- Brooke Killingsworth - 12 wins
- Whitley Pate - 10 wins
- Marcella Cruz - 10 wins
- Nevena Carton - 10 wins

Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com

Next Event

Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Krystal Blanch

Nevena Carton

Marcella Cruz

Sankavi Gownder

Brooke Killingsworth

Whitley Pate

Casie Wooten

Wake Forest Athletics