Friday, February 28
South Bend, Ind.
4 p.m.
Wake Forest University
at
Notre Dame
Deacs Primed for First ACC Tilts Against No. 24 Notre Dame and Louisville
2/27/2025 12:02:00 PM | Women's Tennis
The Demon Deacons open up their conference schedule with a matchup against No. 24 Notre Dame on Friday before facing off against Louisville on Sunday.
SOUTH BEND, IN and LOUISVILLE, KY – The No. 29 Wake Forest women's tennis team concludes its extended six-match road trip with their first Atlantic Coast Conference tilts of the season against No. 24 Notre Dame and Louisville.
The Deacs open their ACC schedule against the Fighting Irish on Friday, with first serve currently slated for 4 p.m. Fans can watch every match online on the Notre Dame website, while live scores will be updated throughout the afternoon here.
The Demon Deacons will then close out their road stretch on Sunday as they take on the Cardinals at noon. All matches will be available for streaming via Track Tennis, while live score updates will be available here.
Match Schedule
Series History
Versus Notre Dame
Versus Louisville
Last Time Out
Wake Forest closed out its final weekend of non-conference play with two 7-0 sweeps over Navy and William & Mary to move to 10-3 on the season.
In their opening matchup against the Midshipmen, juniors Whitley Pate and Jingyi Li got their first win as a duo with a 6-1 win at third doubles, while junior Nevena Carton and freshman Kady Tannenbaum clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 victory at second doubles. The Deacs continued their momentum into singles play as all six players earned straight-set victories to secure the sweep.
Against William & Mary, the Deacs once again swept the doubles point following a 6-3 win at first doubles by graduate student Makayla Mills and redshirt sophomore Krystal Blanch, as well as Pate and graduate student Anna Zhang, who came away with a 6-4 victory at third doubles.
In singles, freshman Brianna Baldi gave the Deacs a 2-0 advantage with a 6-0, 6-4 win at sixth singles, before Pate added a 6-2, 6-0 victory at third singles moments later. Tannenbaum and sophomore Sankavi Gownder picked up simultaneous victories to clinch the match for Wake Forest, with Tannenbaum coming away with a 6-2, 6-3 win at fourth singles, and Gownder taking her match at fifth singles, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5). Following a win from Carton at first singles (6-4, 6-2), Blanch sealed the sweep with a three-set victory at second singles (6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 1-0 (11-9)).
Doubles Dominance
The Demon Deacons have been dominant in doubles matches this season as they have gone 24-3 in doubles play through their first nine matches.
Pate and graduate student Anna Zhang lead the Demon Deacons with a 9-0 record on the season, while junior Nevena Carton and freshman Kady Tannenbaum are 8-2 as a duo. Blanch/Mills also improved to 6-1 at first doubles following their win on Sunday against William & Mary.
Off to a Hot Start
The Deacs have gotten off to a hot start in singles play with an overall record of 49-15. Gownder became the lone Demon Deacon with double-digit singles wins on the season following her two victories last weekend, as the Cypress, Texas, native sits at 10-2 on the year. Baldi is not far behind with a 9-2 record in her freshman campaign, while Pate and Tannenbaum have both totaled eight wins on the season. Carton, who stepped up into the first singles slot this season, currently has a 7-2 record. Finally, Blanch rounds out the Demon Deacon lineup with a 5-2 record at the second singles position.
Deacs in the ITA Rankings
The Demon Deacons jumped up to the No. 29 team in the country following the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) poll. The Deacs currently hold a 10-3 record on the season and are one of 11 Atlantic Coast Conference teams ranked inside the top-50.
The Deacs also hold two places within the top-100 in both the singles and doubles polls. Blanch currently sits at No. 75 in the ITA singles poll, while she and Mills are ranked as the No. 75 doubles partnership in the country by the ITA.
Closing In on Win No. 200
After becoming the all-time winningest head coach in women's tennis program history earlier this season, head coach Jeff Wyshner earned his 196th and 197th victories of his Wake Forest career following the wins against Navy and William & Mary.
Under Wyshner's leadership, the Demon Deacons have amassed a 197-182 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
Notre Dame comes into Friday's match ranked as the No. 24 team in the country by the ITA after opening the season with an 11-1 record. The Fighting Irish are also currently 1-0 in the ACC after defeating SMU this past weekend, 4-1.
The Fighting Irish have been a force in singles play as they are a combined 48-13 record in singles matches. Leading the way for Notre Dame is junior Rylie Hanford, who sits at 10-1 this season while primarily playing the fifth and sixth singles spot. Junior Bojana Pozder has solidified her spot in the first singles position, having gone 8-2 overall and 6-2 at the No. 1 spot. Meanwhile, junior Akari Matsuno is the lone Notre Dame player in the ITA rankings as she sits at No. 109 after starting the season 6-1.
Louisville currently holds a 5-2 record after falling to SMU, 4-1, last weekend. In total the Cardinals are a combined 38-16, including holding a 13-4 record in doubles matches. Junior Alice Otis and freshman Elisabeth Iila lead the way in doubles for Louisville with a 5-1 record this season, earning them No. 82 spot in the ITA's doubles poll. Meanwhile, sophomores Berta Miret and Elena Noguero have posted a 4-1 record as a duo this season.
In singles, Otis currently holds a 5-2 record at the first singles position, while sophomore Germany Davis leads the Cardinals with an undefeated 6-0 record while primarily playing in the fifth singles slot.
Up Next
The Demon Deacons return to Winston-Salem to begin their home ACC schedule with visits from top-ranked Virginia and No. 31 Virginia Tech next weekend.
The Deacs will square off against No. 1 Virginia in their ACC home opener on Friday, with first serve scheduled for 4 p.m. Wake Forest will conclude their first ACC home stand against the Hokies on Sunday at noon.
Both matches will be held at Leighton Courts and free for all spectators.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
The Deacs open their ACC schedule against the Fighting Irish on Friday, with first serve currently slated for 4 p.m. Fans can watch every match online on the Notre Dame website, while live scores will be updated throughout the afternoon here.
The Demon Deacons will then close out their road stretch on Sunday as they take on the Cardinals at noon. All matches will be available for streaming via Track Tennis, while live score updates will be available here.
Match Schedule
- Friday, February 28
- No. 29 Wake Forest at No. 24 Notre Dame, 4 p.m.
- Sunday, March 2
- No. 29 Wake Forest at Louisville, Noon
Series History
Versus Notre Dame
- Series: Notre Dame leads, 17-16
- Last Time: March 3, 2024
- Result: W, 4-3
Versus Louisville
- Series: Wake Forest leads, 10-1
- Last Time: March 1, 2024
- Result: W, 7-0
Last Time Out
Wake Forest closed out its final weekend of non-conference play with two 7-0 sweeps over Navy and William & Mary to move to 10-3 on the season.
In their opening matchup against the Midshipmen, juniors Whitley Pate and Jingyi Li got their first win as a duo with a 6-1 win at third doubles, while junior Nevena Carton and freshman Kady Tannenbaum clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 victory at second doubles. The Deacs continued their momentum into singles play as all six players earned straight-set victories to secure the sweep.
Against William & Mary, the Deacs once again swept the doubles point following a 6-3 win at first doubles by graduate student Makayla Mills and redshirt sophomore Krystal Blanch, as well as Pate and graduate student Anna Zhang, who came away with a 6-4 victory at third doubles.
In singles, freshman Brianna Baldi gave the Deacs a 2-0 advantage with a 6-0, 6-4 win at sixth singles, before Pate added a 6-2, 6-0 victory at third singles moments later. Tannenbaum and sophomore Sankavi Gownder picked up simultaneous victories to clinch the match for Wake Forest, with Tannenbaum coming away with a 6-2, 6-3 win at fourth singles, and Gownder taking her match at fifth singles, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5). Following a win from Carton at first singles (6-4, 6-2), Blanch sealed the sweep with a three-set victory at second singles (6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 1-0 (11-9)).
Doubles Dominance
The Demon Deacons have been dominant in doubles matches this season as they have gone 24-3 in doubles play through their first nine matches.
Pate and graduate student Anna Zhang lead the Demon Deacons with a 9-0 record on the season, while junior Nevena Carton and freshman Kady Tannenbaum are 8-2 as a duo. Blanch/Mills also improved to 6-1 at first doubles following their win on Sunday against William & Mary.
| Doubles Team | Record |
| Zhang/Pate | 9-0 |
| Carton/Tannenbaum | 8-2 |
| No. 75 Blanch/Mills | 6-1 |
| Li/Pate | 1-0 |
Off to a Hot Start
The Deacs have gotten off to a hot start in singles play with an overall record of 49-15. Gownder became the lone Demon Deacon with double-digit singles wins on the season following her two victories last weekend, as the Cypress, Texas, native sits at 10-2 on the year. Baldi is not far behind with a 9-2 record in her freshman campaign, while Pate and Tannenbaum have both totaled eight wins on the season. Carton, who stepped up into the first singles slot this season, currently has a 7-2 record. Finally, Blanch rounds out the Demon Deacon lineup with a 5-2 record at the second singles position.
| Name | Overall | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Baldi | 9-2 | --- | --- | --- | 1-0 | 5-2 | 3-0 |
| No. 95 Blanch | 5-2 | --- | 5-2 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Carton | 7-2 | 6-2 | 1-0 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Gownder | 10-2 | --- | --- | --- | 1-0 | 3-0 | 6-2 |
| Li | 2-0 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2-0 |
| Pate | 8-2 | --- | --- | 7-1 | 1-1 | --- | --- |
| Tannenbaum | 8-3 | --- | --- | 1-0 | 6-2 | 1-1 | --- |
| Zhang | 0-2 | 0-1 | --- | 0-1 | --- | --- | --- |
Deacs in the ITA Rankings
The Demon Deacons jumped up to the No. 29 team in the country following the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) poll. The Deacs currently hold a 10-3 record on the season and are one of 11 Atlantic Coast Conference teams ranked inside the top-50.
| Team | Record | Ranking |
| Virginia | 10-2 | 1 |
| North Carolina | 9-3 | 4 |
| Duke | 8-2 | 9 |
| NC State | 5-3 | 15 |
| Clemson | 10-2 | 16 |
| Notre Dame | 11-1 | 24 |
| Georgia Tech | 6-5 | 27 |
| Wake Forest | 10-3 | 29 |
| Virginia Tech | 9-3 | 31 |
| Stanford | 5-2 | 38 |
| Syracuse | 7-2 | 45 |
The Deacs also hold two places within the top-100 in both the singles and doubles polls. Blanch currently sits at No. 75 in the ITA singles poll, while she and Mills are ranked as the No. 75 doubles partnership in the country by the ITA.
| Name | Ranking |
| Krystal Blanch | 95 |
| Krystal Blanch/Makayla Mills | 75 |
Closing In on Win No. 200
After becoming the all-time winningest head coach in women's tennis program history earlier this season, head coach Jeff Wyshner earned his 196th and 197th victories of his Wake Forest career following the wins against Navy and William & Mary.
Under Wyshner's leadership, the Demon Deacons have amassed a 197-182 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
Notre Dame comes into Friday's match ranked as the No. 24 team in the country by the ITA after opening the season with an 11-1 record. The Fighting Irish are also currently 1-0 in the ACC after defeating SMU this past weekend, 4-1.
The Fighting Irish have been a force in singles play as they are a combined 48-13 record in singles matches. Leading the way for Notre Dame is junior Rylie Hanford, who sits at 10-1 this season while primarily playing the fifth and sixth singles spot. Junior Bojana Pozder has solidified her spot in the first singles position, having gone 8-2 overall and 6-2 at the No. 1 spot. Meanwhile, junior Akari Matsuno is the lone Notre Dame player in the ITA rankings as she sits at No. 109 after starting the season 6-1.
Louisville currently holds a 5-2 record after falling to SMU, 4-1, last weekend. In total the Cardinals are a combined 38-16, including holding a 13-4 record in doubles matches. Junior Alice Otis and freshman Elisabeth Iila lead the way in doubles for Louisville with a 5-1 record this season, earning them No. 82 spot in the ITA's doubles poll. Meanwhile, sophomores Berta Miret and Elena Noguero have posted a 4-1 record as a duo this season.
In singles, Otis currently holds a 5-2 record at the first singles position, while sophomore Germany Davis leads the Cardinals with an undefeated 6-0 record while primarily playing in the fifth singles slot.
Up Next
The Demon Deacons return to Winston-Salem to begin their home ACC schedule with visits from top-ranked Virginia and No. 31 Virginia Tech next weekend.
The Deacs will square off against No. 1 Virginia in their ACC home opener on Friday, with first serve scheduled for 4 p.m. Wake Forest will conclude their first ACC home stand against the Hokies on Sunday at noon.
Both matches will be held at Leighton Courts and free for all spectators.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
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