By Dalton Ray–
The Louisville women’s tennis team fell to North Carolina State 5-2 Friday. The loss drops the Cardinals below .500 for the year at 6-7. The loss to the Wolfpack was the third conference loss of the year.
N.C. State won the doubles point after winning 6-2 and 6-0 on courts one and five. For U of L, the two lone winners were Ellie Stokes and Abbie Pahz. Louisville had a chance late to clinch the match but were too far to come back.
With the loss coach Mark Beckham is looking for answers.
“It’s frustrating, we had opportunities there,” Beckham said. “I really want these bunch to do well the team deserves to enjoy winning. We’re right there but can’t seem to get over that hump. This team really fights and I give them credit, that’s why it’s so frustrating.”
The Wolfpack jumped up 3-1 on the Cardinals after securing the doubles point and the the first two singles. Pahz was the first Louisville player to win after she beat Tayla Stenta (6-3, 6-4). Stokes won (4-6, 6-3, 6-2) just after that. With the final three courts reaming The Cards were more than alive in each.
Jessie Lynn Paul lost her sets 6-3 and 7-6 then Olivia Boesing took her opponent to three sets. Boesing ended up losing fell in the third set giving N.C. State their fifth point.
At this point in the season Beckham says the time is running out to improve but wants this team to succeed.
“We’re about halfway through the year now, we have to start putting it together,” Beckman said. “I want his team to start to doing it for each other, winning matches for their teammates. We have to have four players step up and say, ‘I got this’ and go from there.”
The team has a short two-game road trip to Eastern Kentucky then North Texas. After the trip, Louisville hosts four straight ACC opponents in Boston College, Duke, Virginia and Clemson.
