Texas Tech Athletics
NC State
Lady Raiders claim first top-10 victory in seven years
January 25, 2025 | Women's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In an over three-hour battle, the Texas Tech Lady Raiders earned their first top-10 victory since 2018 after outlasting the No. 10 NC State Wolfpack, 4-3, late Saturday night at the Goodfriend Tennis Center.
The last time Tech got a top-10 win was in the Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament on May 17, 2018 when the Lady Raiders took down the No. 6-ranked Texas Longhorns, 4-1, to reach the Elite 8. This win also marks the highest ranked victory for head coach Adam Herendeen, who previously won against a No. 16 team in his previous tenure at Furman.
The Lady Raiders (3-1) took an early lead after winning the doubles point, which in turn was key to defeating the Wolfpack (2-2) in the match. Competing at court one was two ranked doubles pairs – No. 15 Mariia Hlahola and Avelina Sayfetdinova versus No. 5-ranked Gabriella Broadfoot and Maddy Zampardo. Both teams went back-and-forth until it was 4-4. In the ninth game, the Lady Raiders broke NC State's serve, then held their own to take down Broadfoot and Zampardo for the second time this year, 6-4.
Clinching the doubles point was the No. 33-ranked tandem of Andreea Lila and Jermine Sherif against Michaela Laki and Kristina Paskauskas at court three. Tech and NC State traded games, eventually tying at 5-all. Lila and Sherif got a much-needed break to lead 6-5, before holding their serve to win it by a 7-5 score.
In singles, the Lady Raiders would go out to a 2-0 lead when Hailey Murphy defeated No. 55 Gabia Paskauskas at court five for her first career ranked singles win. Going down 0-2 in both of her sets, the Lady Raider would win six-consecutive games to get the straight-set victory over G. Paskauskas, 6-2, 6-2.
The 2-0 lead was cut in half immediately when Mia Slama overtook freshman Elena Daskalova at court six, 6-1, 6-4. Then, NC State tied things up at 2-2 for a short minute when Sayfetdinova fell to Laki at the top court, 6-4, 6-3.
However, Dmitrichenko was able to give Tech the edge right after when she took down K. Paskauskas at court three. In the first set, the Lady Raider was down 1-3 before winning the next two games to tie it at 3-3. She then won three of the next four games to take set one, 6-4. Dmitrichenko was unforgiving in the second set, taking a 5-1 lead before K. Paskauskas won a game. The Lady Raider would serve it out to win it in two, 6-4, 6-2.
Over at court four, Lila was battling it out with Zampardo as the two took the first set to a tiebreaker, where NC State won it by a 7-6 (3) score. Zampardo was able to win that match after claiming set two, 6-2.
It all came down to court two where Hlahola was grinding it out in a three-set thriller with Anna Zyryanova. In the first set, Hlahola took a 4-2 lead before Zyryanova won two-consecutive games to tie it at 4-all. The Lady Raider was able to break serve the following game, then hold to earn a 6-4 win. In set two, both players were once again tied at 4-4, but the opposite of the first set happened as Zyryanova claimed the next two games to even the match. In the third set, Hlahola went up 5-1 and looked to be unstoppable. But, Zyryanova won the next two games, then took Hlahola to the wire in the ninth game before the Ukraine native broke serve to claim the match, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, and clinch the top-10 victory for Texas Tech.
Up next, the Lady Raiders head to Eugene, Ore., for a doubleheader against Oregon and Portland on Sunday, February 2.
RESULTS
Texas Tech 4, #10 NC State 3
Singles
1. Michaela Laki (NCST) def. Avelina Sayfetdinova (TTU) 6-4, 6-3
2. Mariia Hlahola (TTU) def. Anna Zyryanova (NCST) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
3. Kate Dmitrichenko (TTU) def. Kristina Paskauskas (NCST) 6-4, 6-2
4. Maddy Zampardo (NCST) def. Andreea Lila (TTU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
5. Hailey Murphy (TTU) def. #55 Gabia Paskauskas (NCST) 6-2, 6-2
6. Mia Slama (NCST) def. Elena Daskalova (TTU) 6-1, 6-4
Doubles
1. #15 Mariia Hlahola/Avelina Sayfetdinova (TTU) def. #5 Maddy Zampardo/Gabriella Broadfoot (NCST) 6-4
2. Mia Slama/Anna Zyryanova (NCST) vs. Kate Dmitrichenko/Hailey Murphy (TTU) 5-5, unfinished
3. #33 Andreea Lila/Jermine Sherif (TTU) def. Michaela Laki/Kristina Paskauskas (NCST) 7-5
Order of finish
Doubles (1, 3); Singles (5, 6, 1, 3, 4, 2)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
5,6,1,3,4,2
Players Mentioned
