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Wake Forest women’s tennis (1-1) will head South to take on a familiar foe on Friday evening. The Demon Deacons will take on Furman (2-1) for the seventh year in a row. The Deacs have been dominant in this series, which dates back to 1977, boasting an impressive record of 31-1. Both the Deacs and Paladins have had similar starts to the season, each splitting their first two matches.
On the road again; I just can't wait to get on the road again 🎵 pic.twitter.com/DgvVQLWVAG
— Wake Forest Women's Tennis (@WakeWTennis) January 23, 2026
Friday’s match is set for a start time of 6 p.m. Fans can follow along through live streaming and live stats.
It’s Match Day!
🆚 @WakeWTennis
🎾 Mickel Tennis Center
📍 Greenville, S.C.
⌚️ 6 p.m.
📊 https://t.co/EoNLWiubGG
🎥 https://t.co/mxETWZK2TZ pic.twitter.com/DLtpI58Io2— Furman Women's Tennis (@FurmanWTennis) January 23, 2026
Wake Forest finished its first week of the season at 1-1, falling on the road at No. 16 Tennessee (Jan. 17) before bouncing back to defeat ETSU, 5-2, in its home opener on Monday. Junior Sankavi Gownder has gotten off to an especially hot start for the Deacs, starting the season 2-0 in singles including a ranked win against a top 100 opponent in the season opener. Senior Nevena Carton is nearing 100 combined wins for her career and hopes to replicate her results from Monday, when she won both her doubles and singles matches.
Let’s do it again tomorrow
First serve at 6 p.m. pic.twitter.com/wSjKM4a7Oo
— Wake Forest Women's Tennis (@WakeWTennis) January 22, 2026
Last season, Wake Forest took down Furman, 4-1, in Winston-Salem. The Paladins won the doubles point before the Deacs swept the singles session. Nevena Carton, Kady Tannenbaum, Sankavi Gownder and Whitley Pate all won in straight sets to put the match on ice.
Inclement Weather Predictions Force @FurmanWTennis Schedule Changes https://t.co/t9hSycAv8H
— Furman Women's Tennis (@FurmanWTennis) January 22, 2026
Doubles, like last year, should feature some tough matchups on both sides. Furman’s Lillie Murphy finished the fall season ranked in doubles with two different partners (with Sasha Dimitrov at No. 15 and with Elle Warren at No. 39).
.@FurmanWTennis' Murphy Named SoCon Women's Tennis Player Of The Week https://t.co/jJQtnIJZen
— Furman Women's Tennis (@FurmanWTennis) January 20, 2026
Of note, this match was originally scheduled for Saturday morning but was moved up a day due to expected inclement weather.
Last Time Out
Wake Forest defeated ETSU 5-2 on Saturday, earning its first victory of the season. With the win, the Deacs improved to 4-0 all-time against the SoCon champs. The Deacs beat the Bucs last year, 7-0.
Feels good to be home 🎩 pic.twitter.com/F86fXMrwzu
— Wake Forest Women's Tennis (@WakeWTennis) January 19, 2026
The doubles session came down to the wire after the Nevena Carton/Kady Tannenbaum duo won their match and Jingyi Li and Aubrey Nisbet fell in theirs. It was Krystal Blanch and Evie Oxford who came through in the clutch, defeating Juila Millan and Ksenija Rage of ETSU, 6-2, to win the doubles session and earn the first point of the day for the Deacs.
ETSU fought in the singles session, but ultimately, the Demon Deacon upperclassmen were too much to handle on the day. Carton, Blanch and Gownder combined to go a perfect 3-0 in singles matches to secure the victory for the Deacs. Oxford then picked up her first career dual-match victory in a three-set thriller against Niyati Kukreti. The match finished 5-2 in favor of Wake Forest, marking its third win in three matches all time against the Buccaneers.
#DinsWin pic.twitter.com/mkUSYvKjQP
— Furman Women's Tennis (@FurmanWTennis) January 19, 2026
Next Up
Wake Forest will have the week off before its sole doubleheader of the season. The Deacs will host Marshall and UNC-Greensboro on Saturday, January 31.
The Demon Deacons will be out for revenge against the Thundering Herd after falling in a 4-3 nailbiter to Marshall last season. The Deacs have done well against UNCG historically, holding an 8-3 all-time record against the Spartans.
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