Rocky Mount, NC - It was a busy and competitive afternoon at the Slick Family Foundation Tennis Center, as the No. 37 N.C. Wesleyan men's tennis team hosted both USA South rival Methodist and Division I opponent North Carolina A&T on Tuesday. The Battling Bishops opened the day with a dominant 6-1 win over the Monarchs before falling in a tightly contested 4-3 battle to the Aggies in the nightcap.
Match 1: N.C. Wesleyan 6, Methodist 1
In conference play, the Bishops remained unbeaten at 6-0 in the USA South with a commanding performance against Methodist.
Wesleyan swept all three doubles matches to grab an early lead. Albert Sitwell and Luca Knese controlled court one with a 6-2 win, while Brody Brice and Logan Stoltz matched that effort at No. 2. Francesco Raparo and Bohdan Zhylchuk clinched the sweep with a 6-2 win at the third spot.
In singles, the Bishops took five of the six courts in straight sets. Sitwell (6-1, 6-1), Stoltz (6-0, 6-1), Zhylchuk (6-1, 6-0), Diego Segovia (6-1, 6-2), and Tshepo Mosarwa (6-4, 7-6) each earned victories. Methodist managed its lone point at No. 1 singles.
Match 2: NC A&T 4, N.C. Wesleyan 3
Facing a strong Division I NC A&T squad, the Bishops pushed the Aggies to the brink in a narrow 4-3 defeat.
Wesleyan once again impressed in doubles, taking the point with wins on courts one and three. Knese and Sitwell earned a hard-fought 7-6 victory at the top spot, while Zhylchuk and Raparo rolled 6-2 at No. 3.
In singles play, Bohdan Zhylchuk was outstanding again, winning 7-6, 7-6 at No. 3. Martin Cardestig also delivered a straight-set win at No. 6 (7-5, 7-5), but the Aggies pulled out four singles victories to take the match, including two three-set battles at the top of the lineup.
