The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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86 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL N ew NC State men's tennis head coach Kyle Spencer was able to use the fall to learn what he inherited. The Wolfpack played in five events to get a feel for new doubles tandems and develop the singles pecking order. Spen- cer will lean on his five returning veterans — sophomore Alexis Galarneau, and ju- niors Georgiy Malyshev, Michael Ogden, Igor Saveljic and Ivan Saveljic. Ogden is a senior academically after redshirting his freshman year, giving the Wolfpack a solid leader. The Wolfpack went 14-15 overall and 4-8 in the ACC under former head coach Jon Choboy last year. Spencer is the ninth head coach since the program started in 1956. "I think we'll be leaning on all the veter- ans, to be honest," Spencer said. "We have an interesting dichotomy with four juniors and no seniors, with one sophomore. I re- ally think the upperclassmen are going to lead us." NC State director of athletics Debbie Yow had previously hired Spencer when she was in the same position at Maryland. Spencer knows it is going to take some time to assess where the program is and what is needed to compete on a national scale. "It has been quite the learning experi- ence and it always is," said Spencer, who spent the last four years as an assistant coach at SMU. "I'm trying to figure out my No. 1 player and where they are with their tennis. "I'm trying to see how the guys see the game and how they play the game. We want to see where we can help maximize their potential." The move to NC State has been exciting and eye-opening for Spencer, who went 64-43 in four years at SMU with NCAA Tournament appearances in 2016 and 2017. He knows what he wants in his players. "I want to see how knowledgeable about the game and how coachable they are," Spencer said. "I want to see if there is room for improvement. Often times, peo- ple get caught up individual rankings. It will all sort itself out in the wash, so to speak." ■ PREVIEW MEN'S TENNIS Canadian Alexis Galarneau posted a 25‑10 record in singles play as a freshman last year, which included a 7‑5 mark at No. 1 singles and a 10‑3 showing at the No. 2 spot. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS FRESH BEGINNINGS New Head Coach Kyle Spencer Aims To Build Around Five Returning Players