NSU Brushes Past Rider, 6-1

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -Norfolk State picked up a non-conference win on the road with a 6-1 victory over Rider on Sunday morning at the Rider Tennis Courts.

The victory put NSU's record at 9-10 overall leading into an important last week of the regular season for the Spartans. The Broncs dropped to 3-9.

Despite giving up the No. 3 doubles match due to its short-handed lineup, NSU won the doubles point with two easy wins at the No. 1 and 2 spots. Freshman Kia Batiste and sophomore Maryna Kariuk downed Marly Roche and Allison Clay, 8-1, at the top slot. Senior Naeemah Brooks and junior Rebecca Graff swept through Jaclyn Giameo and Maria Eldridge by an 8-0 score at the No. 2 spot.

Brooks also competed at the No. 1 slot in singles play, where she picked up a 6-3, 6-1 win over Roche. Alexa Manforti was the only other Rider play to win more than one game in a set during a 6-0, 6-3 loss to Kariuk at the No. 4 position.

In the other three matches, freshman Laura Gutierrez earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Michelle Caravaglio at the No. 2 position, while Graff won by that same 6-1, 6-1 score over Tricia Ashmore at the third singles slot. Batiste helped complete the sweep as she defeated Kim Leder at the No. 5 spot, 6-1, 6-0.

Rider won the No. 6 position due to NSU's five-player lineup for the Broncs' only point of the morning.

NSU Sweeps through LaSalle, Rider

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - The Norfolk State men's tennis team dominated both LaSalle and Rider over the weekend as the Spartans picked up a pair of 7-0 victories heading into the last week of the regular season.

NSU defeated LaSalle late Saturday night in Philadelphia then turned right around and played at Rider Sunday morning in Lawrenceville, N.J., where the Spartans won all but one doubles match in the win. The victories moved NSU's record to 12-11 overall.

Against LaSalle (8-11) on Saturday in a match that started at 7 p.m. at the LaSalle Tennis Courts, NSU got things going with three wins in doubles play. Seniors Arsenio Culver and Ben Marks downed De'Sean Fennell and Joseph LeBate at the top doubles spot, 8-2.

Senior Christian Romanzini and sophomore Kent Austin earned an 8-4 win against Thomas MacLeod and Hunter Selman at the No. 2 spot, while freshmen Daniel Grauel and Igor Braga took care of Chas Berenato and Robert Kasinow at the third spot by the same 8-4 score.

In singles play, Romanzini faced the toughest challenge but still overcame Selman at the No. 4 spot with a 6-2 first-set win and a 7-5 victory in the tiebreaker for a 7-6 win in the second set. At the No. 5 position, Grauel defeated Dale Fetterman 6-2, 6-3, and Austin beat Kasinow 6-2, 6-4 at the sixth slot.

In the top three matches, Culver won by a 6-2, 6-3 margin over Fennell at the top spot in the lineup, while Marks earned a perfect 6-0, 6-0 win against Berenato at the second position. Braga helped NSU complete the sweep with a 6-3, 7-5 win over LaBate at the No. 3 position.

Then on Sunday morning against Rider (3-10), the Broncs won at No. 2 doubles, with Drew Laverty and Steve Brand defeating Braga and Grauel by an 8-5 score, for the team's only win on the day. The Spartans won at the top spot in the lineup when Culver and Marks swept through Rollie Malfitano and Matt DiMartino, 8-0.

Austin and freshman Shaheed Mourillon-Swift helped NSU get the early 1-0 lead with an 8-2 victory at the No. 3 position over Milo Milosovici and Ryan Carpenter. Mourillon-Swift also won in singles with a 6-1, 6-4 victory at the No. 6 spot over Carpenter.

Austin downed John Spellman at the No. 5 slot, 6-2, 6-1, while Grauel earned a 6-3, 6-3 win against Brand at the fourth spot. Braga, meanwhile, rebounded from his doubles loss to grab a 6-2, 6-1 win over Laverty at the No. 3 position.

At the very top of the lineup, Culver and Marks had no trouble at all with their Bronc opponents, with Culver rolling over Malfitano at the No. 1 spot, 6-0, 6-0. Marks won by the exact same score as well against Milosovici at the No. 2 position.

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