Saturday, February 15
Columbia, SC
10:30 a.m.
Wake Forest University
at
South Carolina
Demon Deacons Set to Open Road Stretch with Doubleheader at South Carolina
2/14/2025 10:31:00 AM | Women's Tennis
The Deacs begin their six-match road stretch against South Carolina and Western Carolina on Saturday.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Wake Forest women's tennis team begins its six-match road stretch this upcoming Saturday with a doubleheader against South Carolina and Western Carolina at the Carolina Tennis Center.
The Deacs will open Saturday against the Gamecocks at 10:30 a.m. Wake will then close out the doubleheader against the Catamounts, with first serve currently scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
All matches will be live streamed on Track Tennis and live scores will be updated throughout the day against both South Carolina and WCU.
Match Schedule
Series History
Versus South Carolina
Versus Western Carolina
Last Time Out
The Deacs picked up two wins in their lone homestand of the month, defeating Furman 4-1 on Friday afternoon, as well as sweeping James Madison 4-0 on Sunday. The Deacs now sit at 7-2 on the season and an incredible 6-1 at home.
Junior Whitley Pate and sophomore Sankavi Gownder led the Demon Deacons with two wins each over the weekend. Pate picked up a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Furman's Ellie Schulson on Friday, before clinching Sunday's sweep with a 6-2, 6-0 win against James Madison's Sophie Williams. Meanwhile, Gownder secured the victory over the Paladins with a win over Grace Thomas (6-3, 6-2), then followed that up with a 6-3, 6-2 against Corinna Reitmann on Sunday.
In other singles action, freshman Brianna Baldi earned her sixth win of her first collegiate season with a victory against James Madison's Hope Moulin at sixth singles (6-1, 6-4). Meanwhile, freshman Kady Tannenbaum and junior Nevena Carton recorded solo victories in the win against Furman, with Tannebaum defeating Macy Hitchcock at fifth singles (6-2, 6-3) and Carton defeating Sara Snyder at first singles (6-2, 6-2).
Despite dropping their first doubles point of the season against Furman, the Deacs bounced against James Madison to split the weekend with a 2-2 record in doubles action. Graduate student Makayla Mills and redshirt sophomore Krystal Blanch picked up a 6-2 win over JMU's Oliveira/Williams, while No. 36 Carton/Tannenbaum cruised to a comfortable 6-1 victory against Kraleva/Reitmann.
Doubles Dominance
The Demon Deacons have been dominant in doubles matches this season as they have gone 16-2 in doubles play through their first nine matches.
Pate and graduate student Anna Zhang lead the Demon Deacons with a 6-0 record on the season, while junior Nevena Carton and freshman Kady Tannenbaum are 6-1 as a duo. Blanch/Mills also improved to 4-1 at first doubles following their victory against James Madison over the weekend.
Off to a Hot Start
The Deacs have gotten off to a hot start in singles play with an overall record of 27-11. Gownder currently leads the Deacs with a 7-1 record on the year, while Pate improved to 6-1 following her two-win weekend. Baldi and Tannenbaum also have six victories during dual match play, with both sitting at 6-2 during their freshman campaigns thus far. Carton currently sits at 5-2 after moving up into the first singles spot, while Blanch rounds out the top of the Wake Forest squad with a 3-2 record.
Deacs in the ITA Rankings
Three Demon Deacons moved up in the rankings following last week's update by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Blanch moved up to No. 73 in the ITA's singles rankings after moving to 3-2 on the season, including a victory over then-No. 19 Catherine Aulia (Tennessee) in the opening match of the season. In doubles, Carton and Tannenbaum moved up to No. 36 after opening the season as the No. 44 team following fall competition.
Win No. 194 and Counting
After becoming the all-time winningest head coach in women's tennis program history earlier this season, head coach Jeff Wyshner earned his 193rd and 194th wins as the Wake Forest head coach over the weekend.
Under Wyshner's leadership, the Demon Deacons have amassed a 194-181 overall record and have made eight-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Wyshner has also helped produce three All-Americans during his 15-year tenure, including Singles All-American Carolyn Campana (2021), and Doubles All-Americans MC Meredith and Eliza Omiru (2020) and Anna Brylin and Brooke Killingsworth (2022).
Scouting the Opposition
South Carolina comes into their matchup with the Demon Deacons with a 3-3 record after starting the season ranked as the No. 20 team in ITA's preseason poll. In their most recent matchup, the Gamecocks fell to their in-state rival, the Clemson Tigers, on Tuesday, 1-4. Senior Sarah Hamner picked up the only point for South Carolina, defeating Amelie Smejkalova at first singles (6-2, 6-2).
The Gamecocks currently have two players ranked in the top-75, including Hamner, who sits at No. 21, as well as redshirt sophomore Kaitlyn Carnicella, who is currently ranked No. 61. Both Hamner and Carnicella are also ranked as the No. 59 doubles team in the country.
Western Carolina comes into the weekend doubleheader with a 4-3 record, including a 6-1 victory over Presbyterian in their most recent match this past Sunday.
The Catamounts currently hold a 33-23 record across doubles and singles matches this season. Junior Chloe Schwarz leads the way for Western Carolina, having gone 3-0 in singles and 4-1 in doubles matches alongside senior Andrea Redondo.
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will continue their road trip next weekend with matches against the Naval Academy and William & Mary.
The Deacs will take on Navy on Friday, with first serve at 1 p.m. Wake will then face off against William & Mary on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
The Deacs will open Saturday against the Gamecocks at 10:30 a.m. Wake will then close out the doubleheader against the Catamounts, with first serve currently scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
All matches will be live streamed on Track Tennis and live scores will be updated throughout the day against both South Carolina and WCU.
Match Schedule
- Saturday, Feb. 15th
- Wake Forest at South Carolina, 10:30 a.m.
- Wake Forest vs. Western Carolina, 1:30 p.m.
Series History
Versus South Carolina
- Series: South Carolina leads, 16-9
- Last Time: Feb. 17, 2024
- Result: L, 3-4
Versus Western Carolina
- Series: Wake Forest leads, 3-0
- Last Time: March 10, 2024
- Result: W, 6-1
Last Time Out
The Deacs picked up two wins in their lone homestand of the month, defeating Furman 4-1 on Friday afternoon, as well as sweeping James Madison 4-0 on Sunday. The Deacs now sit at 7-2 on the season and an incredible 6-1 at home.
Junior Whitley Pate and sophomore Sankavi Gownder led the Demon Deacons with two wins each over the weekend. Pate picked up a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Furman's Ellie Schulson on Friday, before clinching Sunday's sweep with a 6-2, 6-0 win against James Madison's Sophie Williams. Meanwhile, Gownder secured the victory over the Paladins with a win over Grace Thomas (6-3, 6-2), then followed that up with a 6-3, 6-2 against Corinna Reitmann on Sunday.
In other singles action, freshman Brianna Baldi earned her sixth win of her first collegiate season with a victory against James Madison's Hope Moulin at sixth singles (6-1, 6-4). Meanwhile, freshman Kady Tannenbaum and junior Nevena Carton recorded solo victories in the win against Furman, with Tannebaum defeating Macy Hitchcock at fifth singles (6-2, 6-3) and Carton defeating Sara Snyder at first singles (6-2, 6-2).
Despite dropping their first doubles point of the season against Furman, the Deacs bounced against James Madison to split the weekend with a 2-2 record in doubles action. Graduate student Makayla Mills and redshirt sophomore Krystal Blanch picked up a 6-2 win over JMU's Oliveira/Williams, while No. 36 Carton/Tannenbaum cruised to a comfortable 6-1 victory against Kraleva/Reitmann.
Doubles Dominance
The Demon Deacons have been dominant in doubles matches this season as they have gone 16-2 in doubles play through their first nine matches.
Pate and graduate student Anna Zhang lead the Demon Deacons with a 6-0 record on the season, while junior Nevena Carton and freshman Kady Tannenbaum are 6-1 as a duo. Blanch/Mills also improved to 4-1 at first doubles following their victory against James Madison over the weekend.
| Doubles Team | Record |
| Zhang/Pate | 6-0 |
| No. 36 Carton/Tannenbaum | 6-1 |
| Blanch/Mills | 4-1 |
Off to a Hot Start
The Deacs have gotten off to a hot start in singles play with an overall record of 27-11. Gownder currently leads the Deacs with a 7-1 record on the year, while Pate improved to 6-1 following her two-win weekend. Baldi and Tannenbaum also have six victories during dual match play, with both sitting at 6-2 during their freshman campaigns thus far. Carton currently sits at 5-2 after moving up into the first singles spot, while Blanch rounds out the top of the Wake Forest squad with a 3-2 record.
| Name | Overall | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Baldi | 6-2 | --- | --- | --- | 1-0 | 4-2 | 1-0 |
| No. 73 Blanch | 3-2 | --- | 3-2 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Carton | 5-2 | 4-2 | 1-0 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Gownder | 7-1 | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1-0 | 6-1 |
| Li | 1-0 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1-0 |
| Pate | 6-1 | --- | --- | 5-1 | 1-0 | --- | --- |
| Tannenbaum | 6-2 | --- | --- | 1-0 | 4-2 | 1-0 | --- |
| Zhang | 0-1 | 0-1 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
Deacs in the ITA Rankings
Three Demon Deacons moved up in the rankings following last week's update by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Blanch moved up to No. 73 in the ITA's singles rankings after moving to 3-2 on the season, including a victory over then-No. 19 Catherine Aulia (Tennessee) in the opening match of the season. In doubles, Carton and Tannenbaum moved up to No. 36 after opening the season as the No. 44 team following fall competition.
| Name | Ranking |
| Krystal Blanch | 73 |
| Nevena Carton/Kady Tannenbaum | 36 |
Win No. 194 and Counting
After becoming the all-time winningest head coach in women's tennis program history earlier this season, head coach Jeff Wyshner earned his 193rd and 194th wins as the Wake Forest head coach over the weekend.
Under Wyshner's leadership, the Demon Deacons have amassed a 194-181 overall record and have made eight-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Wyshner has also helped produce three All-Americans during his 15-year tenure, including Singles All-American Carolyn Campana (2021), and Doubles All-Americans MC Meredith and Eliza Omiru (2020) and Anna Brylin and Brooke Killingsworth (2022).
Scouting the Opposition
South Carolina comes into their matchup with the Demon Deacons with a 3-3 record after starting the season ranked as the No. 20 team in ITA's preseason poll. In their most recent matchup, the Gamecocks fell to their in-state rival, the Clemson Tigers, on Tuesday, 1-4. Senior Sarah Hamner picked up the only point for South Carolina, defeating Amelie Smejkalova at first singles (6-2, 6-2).
The Gamecocks currently have two players ranked in the top-75, including Hamner, who sits at No. 21, as well as redshirt sophomore Kaitlyn Carnicella, who is currently ranked No. 61. Both Hamner and Carnicella are also ranked as the No. 59 doubles team in the country.
Western Carolina comes into the weekend doubleheader with a 4-3 record, including a 6-1 victory over Presbyterian in their most recent match this past Sunday.
The Catamounts currently hold a 33-23 record across doubles and singles matches this season. Junior Chloe Schwarz leads the way for Western Carolina, having gone 3-0 in singles and 4-1 in doubles matches alongside senior Andrea Redondo.
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will continue their road trip next weekend with matches against the Naval Academy and William & Mary.
The Deacs will take on Navy on Friday, with first serve at 1 p.m. Wake will then face off against William & Mary on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
Players Mentioned
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