ATLANTA (March 7) – Georgia Tech’s 48th-ranked women’s tennis team is looking to take the momentum it gained with a win over No. 47 Auburn into its first Atlantic Coast Conference matches. The Yellow Jackets (6-1) travel to Raleigh to take on NC State at 11 a.m. on Saturday and will play 5th-ranked Wake Forest in Winston-Salem at noon on Sunday.
“I think we are ready to go into ACC play this week,” coach Bryan Shelton said of his team’s trip this weekend. ” I think we are ready right now. We are coming off a good win over Auburn, a very good team. We’ve gained some confidence over the last few weeks. I think we are in a good position to go into ACC matches.”
They hope to start the weekend off with a strong showing against the unranked Wolfpack. Shelton expects the Wake Forest match to be a good test for his team. They are playing well and coming off a win over No. 4 Florida.
The Jackets’ confidence is the result of a 6-1 record including two wins over ranked opponents and the consistency of several players. Charlotte Pernet (Dijon, France) has gained confidence at the No. 4 spot winning four-of-five matches. Bobbi Guthrie (Raleigh, N.C.) and Mysti Morris (Cartersville, Ga) have been the team’s leaders at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots with a combined 11 wins in the middle of the lineup.
“I’m very high on those two,” Shelton said. “They work hard in practice and they come out in matches and compete.”
The team has also improved its play in the doubles matches, clinching the Auburn match with a win by Guthrie and Sabrina Pardo (Aix En Provence) in the No.1 doubles spot.
“I think that they have realized how important the doubles matches are to the team,” Shelton said. “I have really been stressing that. It’s great when you can learn from your wins.”
