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NC State Women's Tennis Extends Impressive NCAA Tournament to Elite Eight

Wolfpack women's tennis is into the Elite Eight for the first time since 2023 after taking down the Texas Longhorns.
Tucker Sennett|
An NCAA Tournament banner hangs at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center as NC State faced the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet 16 round of the 2026 NCAA Women's Tennis Championships in Raleigh, N.C., on May 8, 2026.
An NCAA Tournament banner hangs at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center as NC State faced the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet 16 round of the 2026 NCAA Women's Tennis Championships in Raleigh, N.C., on May 8, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

RALEIGH — NC State women's tennis is in the midst of a deep run through the 2026 NCAA Women's Tennis Championships and added another impressive chapter to the story Friday. The Wolfpack welcomed the Texas Longhorns to the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center for the Sweet 16 round and came from behind to beat the ninth-seeded visitors, advancing to the Elite Eight.

The Pack didn't have the same quick success that it did in the previous round against UCF, when it swept the Knights to advance in the tournament. It took an impressive performance in the singles phase of the Super Regional for NC State to get over the hump after falling behind in the doubles portion, normally the strength of the Wolfpack. Still, the team found a way.

How the Wolfpack got it done

NC State's top doubles team, No. 3 Gabriella Broadfoot and Victoria Osuigwe, couldn't survive their match, losing 6-2. Ultimately, that proved to be the difference in doubles as the Pack could only win one of the three matchups, losing the doubles point to the Longhorns. Texas boasted some serious individual talent, so there was an obvious reason for concern after the early defeat, but the talented State group wasn't done yet.

The battle continued in singles, where the Wolfpack knew it needed to make up ground to have a shot at its first Elite Eight appearance since 2023. Wins from Lavinia Tanasie and Mia Slama helped NC State tie the match at 2-2, with Slama's performance being particularly important. Slama, a sophomore from Boca Raton, Florida, took on the third-ranked player in the country, Carmen Herea, upsetting the talented Texas player to secure a much-needed victory for the Pack in the match.

The Wolfpack stormed all the way back to take the lead from Texas, as senior Anna Zyryanova won her match to put her team up 3-2. Her 7-6, 6-1 victory over No. 6 Anastasia Abbagnato marked another significant upset that set the stage for NC State to get the job done.

It all came down to one half of the Wolfpack's national championship doubles pair, with Osuigwe in a battle with No. 104 Elizabeth Ionescu for the opportunity to play in the Elite Eight. After dropping the first set, the NC State freshman stormed back and secured a win in the third set, ultimately securing her team a spot in the Elite Eight against No. 1 seed Georgia. The Pack will be hitting the road to take on the Bulldogs in Athens, Ga.

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.

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