NORFOLK, Va. - The Norfolk State women's tennis team opened its 2012 season with a 6-0 loss at Old Dominion Saturday morning at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.

ODU won all five singles matches as well as both doubles matches that were contested. The match marked both team's first competition this year.

The Monarchs finished perfect in both doubles matches, winning 8-0 at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles while also earning the victory at the third slot by default. Diana Ivanova and Melissa Esnal Olguin downed senior Naeemah Brooks and junior Rebecca Graff at the No. 1 slot, while Aleksandra Mitrovska and Nika Khmolovska earned the victory over freshmen Kia Batiste and Laura Gutierrez at No. 2.

Graff later fell to Esnal Olguin at the No. 2 singles slot, 6-2, 6-1, while Batiste lost by a 6-0, 6-2 to Faith Atiso at the No. 5 spot. At the top spot, Ivanova had a perfect sweep of Brooks, 6-0, 6-0.

Gutierrez and sophomore Maryna Kariuk, meanwhile, both fell by 6-0, 6-1 scores in their matches. Mitrovska downed Gutierrez at the No. 3 spot, while Khmolovska handled Kariuk at No. 4 singles.

NSU Nearly Upsets Drexel to Open 2012 Season

RICHMOND, Va. - The Norfolk State men's tennis team nearly pulled off the upset of Drexel on the opening day of its 2012 season, but the Spartans fell to the Dragons, 3-2, Saturday morning at the VCU 4+1 Invitational. The Spartans also dropped a 4-0 contest to Georgetown later in the afternoon.

NSU's two newest players picked up some big wins over Drexel at VCU's Thalhimer Tennis Center, as freshman Igor Braga and Daniel Grauel both won in straight sets. Braga downed Jeganathan Srinivasan at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-2, while Grauel earned the victory at No. 4 singles, 6-3, 6-1, over Paul Stauskas.

In the other two singles bouts, senior Ben Marks lost to Badr Quabdelmoumen, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 1 singles, and senior Christian Romanzini fell to Bryan Nguyen at No. 3 singles, 6-0, 6-1. Earlier in the match, the duo of sophomore Kent Austin and freshman Shaheed Mourillon-Swift dropped a 6-4, 6-1 decision to Daniel Hansen and Skyler Davis.

Against Georgetown later in the day, NSU was unable to make another run. At No. 1 singles, Marks fell to Andrew Bruhn, 6-1, 7-5, while Braga dropped a 6-2, 6-4 decision to Charlie Caris at the second spot. Romanzini came up short against Shane Korber, 6-1, 6-4, at No. 3 singles, while Andrew Dottino led Grauel, 6-4, 4-3, in the No. 4 match before play was ended.

In the doubles match, Austin and Mourillon-Swift dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision to Brian Ward and Casey Distaso.

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