Saturday, January 18
Winston-Salem, N.C.
10 a.m.
Wake Forest University
vs
Tennessee
Demon Deacons to Start 2025 Season with Trio of Matches at Home
1/17/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
The Deacs open their season with a doubleheader against No. 18 Tennessee and East Carolina on Saturday (Jan. 18) before facing East Tennessee State on Monday (Jan. 20).
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest women's tennis team opens up their 2025 season with a trio of matches across opening weekend at the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center, hosting No. 18 Tennessee and East Carolina in a doubleheader on Saturday (Jan. 18) before facing East Tennessee State on Monday (Jan. 20).
The Demon Deacons will open their season against Tennessee for the second-straight season, with the match scheduled to start at 10 a.m. The Deacs will then square off against the Pirates later that day at 5 p.m. First serve for Monday's match against ETSU is slated for 12 p.m.
The Demon Deacons finished last spring with a 15-14 record (6-7 ACC), earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth-consecutive season and their 23rd in program history.
Admission to all three matches will be free and will also be livestreamed on Playsight. Live results will be available here.
Schedule
Series History
Versus Tennessee
Scouting the Opposition
Last season, the Tennessee Volunteers finished with a 22-8 record and advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2002, falling to eventual NCAA national champion Texas A&M in the semifinals. The Volunteers opened up their season with a trip to the Texas Invitational in Austin, Texas this past weekend (Jan. 10 - 12).
The Volunteers have four players ranked in singles with Elza Tomase (No. 10), Catherine Aulia (No. 19), Vanesa Suarez (No. 54), and Leyla Britez Risso (No. 106). Tomase and Aulia are also ranked in doubles at No. 29.
East Carolina will be opening its 2025 season in Winston-Salem, facing the Volunteers at 2 p.m. prior to the contest with the Deacs. The Pirates have one doubles team ranked to open match play, with Ines Bachir El Bouhali/Xenia Jeromin leading the way at No. 110.
East Tennessee State finished last season with a 17-8 record and a SoCon title to give them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Buccaneers begin their 2025 season with a trip to Kentucky on Saturday (Jan. 18) to take on the Wildcats ahead of their matchup with the Deacs.
Meet the Team
Wake Forest returns six members to its 10-player roster and are led by third-year members Krystal Blanch, Nevena Carton, Jingyi Li, and Whitley Pate.
Krystal Blanch | Redshirt Sophomore | Boca Raton, Fla. | Laurel Springs High School
After redshirting her freshman season, Blanch saw her first action at the collegiate level last season. Blanch appeared in 15 matches for the Demon Deacons, playing most of her singles matches in the No. 6 spot. Following a dominant 6-1 doubles win and a comeback victory in singles competition to clinch the match against Old Dominion (2/3/24), Blanch became the first Deac to be named ACC Freshman of the Week since 2018. In total, Blanch finished the 2023-24 season with seven combined doubles wins and three singles wins.
Nevena Carton | Junior | Locust, N.J. | IA Academy
While mainly competing at the No. 4 spot for the Deacs last season, Carton racked up 13 wins for the entire year, including 10 dual match wins during the spring. Carton caught fire during the month of March, going 8-2 in solo matches from March 1 to March 22, as all but one of her eight victories resulted in straight sets. Carton also landed a ranked win over No. 76 Shahar Biran of South Carolina during the Gamecocks' hosted Carolina Kickoff and recorded four ACC wins throughout the spring. During the fall season, Carton captured six double wins, all of which were alongside classmate Whitley Pate. Carton was also named to the 2024 All-ACC Academic Team.
Jingyi Li | Junior | Bradenton, Fla. | IMG Academy
Across her five appearances during spring competition, Li won each of her three completed singles matches in dual play, happening versus Campbell, Western Carolina and Elon. Li also played with a handful of teammates for doubles through the fall and spring, going 4-4 overall.
Whitley Pate | Junior | Daniel Island, S.C. | Randy Pate Tennis Academy
After appearing in 23 matches as a freshman, Pate made some strides during her second year with the Deacs. Pate finished the season with 16 combined singles wins during the fall and spring, which placed her third on the team. During the spring season, Pate racked up double-digit solo victories throughout dual-match competition, including six wins in ACC play, tied for the second-best mark on the roster. In doubles competition, Pate tied upperclassmen Brooke Killingsworth and Marcella Cruz for the most combined doubles wins for the fall and spring with 18 victories, including five doubles victories within conference play. Pate opened the spring by winning seven of her first eight matches, all but two of which occurred in straight sets. Pate also won four of her first five doubles matches in the fall alongside classmate Nevena Carton.
Sankavi Gownder and Aubrey Nisbet both return for their sophomore seasons. Nisbet will be in action for the first time in her career after missing the 2023-24 season due to injury.
Sankavi Gownder | Sophomore | Cypress, Texas | Connections Academy
Coming in as a top recruit in her class, Gownder capped off her freshman year with a very impressive debut season. Gownder finished her freshman season ranked second on the squad in combined singles wins through the fall and spring (17), dual-match singles wins (14) and combined doubles wins for the fall and spring (15). Gownder spent the majority of her time at the No. 5 position within Wake Forest's singles lineup while being paired with senior Mia Ahmad and sophomore Whitley Pate mostly for doubles. Gownder captured more doubles wins in non-dual match competition compared to any other Deacon, finishing with eight victories in the fall. Gownder picked up her first career ranked singles win on Jan. 16 at South Carolina's annual Carolina Kickoff, downing No. 100 Eleonora Molinaro of Tennessee in a straight-sets decision. Gownder's best form of the season came during an exceptional four-week stretch from Feb. 23 to March 22, where she won nine of 11 completed matches. Gownder was also named to the 2024 All-ACC Academic Team as a freshman.
The Demon Deacons will be welcoming four newcomers to their squad this season, including Kentucky transfer Makayla Mills and Columbia transfer Anna Zhang, as well as a freshman duo of Brianna Baldi and Kady Tannenbaum.
Both graduate students, Mills was consistently ranked nationally in doubles for the Wildcats, while Zhang ranked as high as No. 5 in doubles during her time with the Lions, along with being named First Team All-Ivy Doubles in 2024, First Team All-Ivy Singles in 2023, and Second Team All-Ivy Singles in 2022.
Baldi was a Blue Chip recruit and ranked first in the state of North Carolina in high school, while Tannenbaum became a New York State Individual Champion at 15 and has won three gold balls from national tournaments, as well as winning National Doubles in back-to-back fashion.
Fall Season Highlights
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will hit the road for the first time in 2025 to take on Liberty on Friday (Jan. 24) before returning home for a doubleheader against Old Dominion and Elon on Sunday (Jan. 26).
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
The Demon Deacons will open their season against Tennessee for the second-straight season, with the match scheduled to start at 10 a.m. The Deacs will then square off against the Pirates later that day at 5 p.m. First serve for Monday's match against ETSU is slated for 12 p.m.
The Demon Deacons finished last spring with a 15-14 record (6-7 ACC), earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth-consecutive season and their 23rd in program history.
Admission to all three matches will be free and will also be livestreamed on Playsight. Live results will be available here.
Schedule
- Saturday (Jan. 18)
- 10 a.m. - No. 18 Tennessee
- 5 p.m. - East Carolina
- Monday (Jan. 20)
- 12 p.m. - East Tennessee State
Series History
Versus Tennessee
- Series: Tennessee leads, 19-16
- Last Time: Jan. 21, 2024
- Result: L, 1-6
- Series: Wake Forest leads, 8-0
- Last Time: Mar. 26, 2017
- Result: W, 6-1
- Series: Wake Forest leads, 2-0
- Last Time: Mar. 11, 2012
- Result: W, 5-2
Scouting the Opposition
Last season, the Tennessee Volunteers finished with a 22-8 record and advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2002, falling to eventual NCAA national champion Texas A&M in the semifinals. The Volunteers opened up their season with a trip to the Texas Invitational in Austin, Texas this past weekend (Jan. 10 - 12).
The Volunteers have four players ranked in singles with Elza Tomase (No. 10), Catherine Aulia (No. 19), Vanesa Suarez (No. 54), and Leyla Britez Risso (No. 106). Tomase and Aulia are also ranked in doubles at No. 29.
East Carolina will be opening its 2025 season in Winston-Salem, facing the Volunteers at 2 p.m. prior to the contest with the Deacs. The Pirates have one doubles team ranked to open match play, with Ines Bachir El Bouhali/Xenia Jeromin leading the way at No. 110.
East Tennessee State finished last season with a 17-8 record and a SoCon title to give them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Buccaneers begin their 2025 season with a trip to Kentucky on Saturday (Jan. 18) to take on the Wildcats ahead of their matchup with the Deacs.
Meet the Team
Wake Forest returns six members to its 10-player roster and are led by third-year members Krystal Blanch, Nevena Carton, Jingyi Li, and Whitley Pate.
Krystal Blanch | Redshirt Sophomore | Boca Raton, Fla. | Laurel Springs High School
After redshirting her freshman season, Blanch saw her first action at the collegiate level last season. Blanch appeared in 15 matches for the Demon Deacons, playing most of her singles matches in the No. 6 spot. Following a dominant 6-1 doubles win and a comeback victory in singles competition to clinch the match against Old Dominion (2/3/24), Blanch became the first Deac to be named ACC Freshman of the Week since 2018. In total, Blanch finished the 2023-24 season with seven combined doubles wins and three singles wins.
Nevena Carton | Junior | Locust, N.J. | IA Academy
While mainly competing at the No. 4 spot for the Deacs last season, Carton racked up 13 wins for the entire year, including 10 dual match wins during the spring. Carton caught fire during the month of March, going 8-2 in solo matches from March 1 to March 22, as all but one of her eight victories resulted in straight sets. Carton also landed a ranked win over No. 76 Shahar Biran of South Carolina during the Gamecocks' hosted Carolina Kickoff and recorded four ACC wins throughout the spring. During the fall season, Carton captured six double wins, all of which were alongside classmate Whitley Pate. Carton was also named to the 2024 All-ACC Academic Team.
Jingyi Li | Junior | Bradenton, Fla. | IMG Academy
Across her five appearances during spring competition, Li won each of her three completed singles matches in dual play, happening versus Campbell, Western Carolina and Elon. Li also played with a handful of teammates for doubles through the fall and spring, going 4-4 overall.
Whitley Pate | Junior | Daniel Island, S.C. | Randy Pate Tennis Academy
After appearing in 23 matches as a freshman, Pate made some strides during her second year with the Deacs. Pate finished the season with 16 combined singles wins during the fall and spring, which placed her third on the team. During the spring season, Pate racked up double-digit solo victories throughout dual-match competition, including six wins in ACC play, tied for the second-best mark on the roster. In doubles competition, Pate tied upperclassmen Brooke Killingsworth and Marcella Cruz for the most combined doubles wins for the fall and spring with 18 victories, including five doubles victories within conference play. Pate opened the spring by winning seven of her first eight matches, all but two of which occurred in straight sets. Pate also won four of her first five doubles matches in the fall alongside classmate Nevena Carton.
Sankavi Gownder and Aubrey Nisbet both return for their sophomore seasons. Nisbet will be in action for the first time in her career after missing the 2023-24 season due to injury.
Sankavi Gownder | Sophomore | Cypress, Texas | Connections Academy
Coming in as a top recruit in her class, Gownder capped off her freshman year with a very impressive debut season. Gownder finished her freshman season ranked second on the squad in combined singles wins through the fall and spring (17), dual-match singles wins (14) and combined doubles wins for the fall and spring (15). Gownder spent the majority of her time at the No. 5 position within Wake Forest's singles lineup while being paired with senior Mia Ahmad and sophomore Whitley Pate mostly for doubles. Gownder captured more doubles wins in non-dual match competition compared to any other Deacon, finishing with eight victories in the fall. Gownder picked up her first career ranked singles win on Jan. 16 at South Carolina's annual Carolina Kickoff, downing No. 100 Eleonora Molinaro of Tennessee in a straight-sets decision. Gownder's best form of the season came during an exceptional four-week stretch from Feb. 23 to March 22, where she won nine of 11 completed matches. Gownder was also named to the 2024 All-ACC Academic Team as a freshman.
The Demon Deacons will be welcoming four newcomers to their squad this season, including Kentucky transfer Makayla Mills and Columbia transfer Anna Zhang, as well as a freshman duo of Brianna Baldi and Kady Tannenbaum.
Both graduate students, Mills was consistently ranked nationally in doubles for the Wildcats, while Zhang ranked as high as No. 5 in doubles during her time with the Lions, along with being named First Team All-Ivy Doubles in 2024, First Team All-Ivy Singles in 2023, and Second Team All-Ivy Singles in 2022.
Baldi was a Blue Chip recruit and ranked first in the state of North Carolina in high school, while Tannenbaum became a New York State Individual Champion at 15 and has won three gold balls from national tournaments, as well as winning National Doubles in back-to-back fashion.
Fall Season Highlights
- The Demon Deacons opened up their fall action at Furman University's 37th Annual Debbie Southern Classic, picking up a combined 12 wins at the event.
- Freshmen Brianna Baldi and Kady Tannenbaum opened their Wake Forest careers with first place finishes in their respective brackets.
- Tannenbaum also advanced to the finals in her doubles bracket, as she and junior Nevena Carton placed second.
- Junior Krystal Blanch and sophomore Sankavi Gownder picked up opening round victories in their respective brackets, while junior Whitley Pate and graduate student Makayla Mills, who made her Wake Forest debut at the tournament, picked up consolation victories.
- Graduate student Anna Zhang made her first career appearance for the Demon Deacons, picking up a victory in the opening pre-qualification round at the ITA All-American Championships.
- Zhang defeated LSU's Erickson in straight-sets (6-1, 6-3) to open her Wake Forest account.
- The Deacs closed out their fall season at the ITA Carolina Regional, where seven Demon Deacons participated in the Round of 64 or better, along with two doubles teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
- Baldi and Tannenbaum both advanced into the main draw of the tournament after sweeping their qualification round matchups, with Baldi advancing to the Round of 32 after picking up a ranked win over No. 86 Zampardo of NC State (6-2, 4-6, 6-4).
- Zhang picked up two wins in singles competition to advance to the Round of 16, including victories over Charleston Southern's Noa Boyd (6-2, 6-2) and NC State's Jasmine Conway (6-4, 6-4).
- Both Carton/Tannenbaum and Pate/Zhang advanced to the quarterfinals of the doubles competition, with Carton and Tannenbaum picking up an upset victory over No. 27 Hamner/Carnicella of South Carolina in the opening round.
- After an impressive display at the ITA Carolina Regional, Kady Tannenbaum and Nevena Carton finished their season ranked at No. 44 in the ITA's final fall rankings.
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will hit the road for the first time in 2025 to take on Liberty on Friday (Jan. 24) before returning home for a doubleheader against Old Dominion and Elon on Sunday (Jan. 26).
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
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