How NC State men’s tennis surged to No. 5, the program’s highest-ever ranking

NC State men’s tennis coach Kyle Spencer expected to have a quality team that could earn top-25 wins on a consistent basis this season. But when then-No. 21 Harvard arrived in Raleigh for the Wolfpack’s first ranked match of the season, the Crimson took the doubles point and four of the six singles matches. 

It wasn’t what the Pack, ranked 21st at the time, was expecting to have happened. Although it wasn’t the outcome NC State was looking for, the Harvard loss seemed to serve as a learning lesson. 

Ever since that defeat, the Wolfpack has brought a new swagger onto the tennis court. NC State is 12-3 since with six top-25 victories and it is currently riding a seven-match winning streak. Now, the Pack sits at No. 5 in the national rankings — its highest mark in program history.

What was the difference? How did the Pack find a way to rebound and become one of the hottest teams in Division I tennis? It not only showed the team needs to bring its best for every match, but also how to navigate the emotional aspect of each highly-ranked battle on the hard courts. 

“With a long season, you’re not always going to play well,” NC State coach Kyle Spencer said. “We haven’t necessarily played well in every single match, but we’ve definitely brought that aspect to every match. That’s definitely given us a big boost when we haven’t played our best tennis.”

NC State’s path towards the top of D-I tennis began with its ability to rebound at the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Starkville, Miss., with 4-1 wins over LSU and then-No. 9 Mississippi State. The Pack followed that performance up with a victory at then-No. 17 Michigan and it eventually beat then-No. 8 Kentucky in its opening match of the ITA National Team Indoors. 

Then, the Wolfpack ran into No. 2 Wake Forest and No. 5 Virginia, dropping both to finish its stay in Dallas. 

But after that, NC State hasn’t lost. That includes wins over No. 6 Stanford and Virginia in back-to-back matches to vault the Wolfpack into its best ranking ever. 

The Wolfpack, which had the No. 1 recruiting class in the 2021 cycle, has only built on that ever since. Braden Shick, who was one of the main pieces of that group, has worked his way to No. 24 in the nation this season, while fellow classmate Luca Staeheli is up to No. 55. Martin Borisiouk, meanwhile, has emerged as the Wolfpack’s second-court player and is currently ranked No. 41 in the nation. 

NC State’s recruiting prowess has resulted in a higher floor for its players, which enter a program that prides itself on developing talent. That has seemed to make life easier for Spencer, in a way, allowing himself to work with elite-level players and continuing their growth in Raleigh. 

“I think what you’re seeing is, the starting level of those players coming has gotten higher and higher each year, but the development part has stayed the bedrock of what we do,” Spencer said. “Now, it’s not taking as long for some of the newer players to come in and be able to play at a high level. 

“The players, as they go through the program, are continuing to improve and reach higher and higher levels of individual play. That, to me, is a massive difference.”

Shick owns a 9-7 record against nationally-ranked players this season, while Staeheli is riding an eight-match winning streak and is 5-0 in ACC play. Jules Leroux is 4-0 in league play, while William Manning is 3-0 and Fons Van Sambeek is 4-3. 

Spencer beamed when talking about the depth of his roster this season. He has been able to build the program into a spot where every court is competitive on any given match. That has led to the top players being pushed by their teammates as everyone wants to be deployed in matches. 

NC State’s early season struggle against Harvard was almost a blessing in disguise. The Wolfpack needed that to right the ship, which now as the program contending at the top of the ACC. Although it is 5-0 in league play, the Pack isn’t content with that. It knows that every team it faces will bring its best — and anyone is capable of beating anyone in the conference. 

The Pack has already avenged its loss to Virginia and it will have an opportunity to do the same against current No. 1 Wake Forest at the end of the regular season on April 12. But in the meantime, NC State is focused on taking the next six matches one at a time to be positioned well for the ACC Tournament. 

“I think there’s been a commitment by our guys to put out performances that they can be proud of as a group,” Spencer said. “It’s been rewarding because we knew we’d have a good team this year, but at the same time, it feels like we have such a long way to go.”