The NC Warrior boys varsity tennis team faced off against the Campbell Spartans at Legacy Park on Tuesday, February 8. In their third match of the season, the team brought a positive outlook to the game along with their determination and ambition shown by their previous win against the Lassiter Trojans but a loss against the Wheeler Wildcats.

Senior Peyton Stack started off the night strong against senior Brandon Shoemaker at the line one singles slot. Stack came out victorious with a 6-1 6-0 win. This first match not only put the Warriors in the lead but continued Stack’s undefeated streak for the season. This season marks his fourth and last year as an NC Warrior. Following Stack, freshman Zhuri Tann-Wilson and junior Raeden Selee went up against Cade Peterson and Lucas Gose at line two doubles. The pair showed off their footwork and communication as they came out on top with a 6-0 6-4 win. They impressed families and friends spectating at their inaugural match.

“It was nice to see that they went out there because they haven’t played an actual match together. to see that they were able to do kind of a spur of the moment because I had to substitute a kid out that was sick so it was good to see that they were able to go out there and they were able to communicate and even in the second set when they got a lot closer, that they were still able to figure it out and come out with a win,” varsity boys and girls coach Andrea Drake said.

Halfway into the match, sophomore Tyler Goldfine faced off against Tejiki Aror at the line two singles position. He showed he did not intend to lose striking the ball back with his technique and agility. Goldfine continued the winning streak with a 6-3 6-1 victory. As Goldfine’s second year on the NC Warriors tennis team kicks off, he expects to improve and uplift his teammates this season.

Senior Lorenzo Alarcon and freshman Kam Fosdick faced off against Noah Mallon and Mason Herrman in the closest match of the night. After an evenly balanced contest, Alarcon and Fosdick came out victorious over the line one doubles tiebreaker. After losing a handful of close matches this season, Alarcon and Fosdick hope to continue winning in future matches while celebrating every point.

With support from his teammates, junior Quintin Ferrara finished the matchup against Kyle Blanchett at line three singles. Ferrara ultimately fell with a 6-7 4-6 loss, setting the 4-1 win against the Campbell Spartans in stone. Ferrara played with endurance and played a tiebreaker for the first set. The team plans to practice and refine their skills with every game they play, building bonds and increasing team communication along the way. With a tournament and regional play coming up, the NC Warriors practice thoroughly and bring high hopes and confidence for the games ahead of them.

“The team has gotten better chemistry overall. Everyone has been getting to know each other and their weaknesses and can step up for each other. I really enjoy seeing the freshman on the team succeed for us and I want to be a good influence on them,” Goldfine said.