By Marlene Estenssoro Pineda
 
HICKORY, N.C. – Freshman Eder Blanco and senior Vasil Ivanov remained on their lengthy winning streaks as they helped the North Carolina A&T men's tennis defeat the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears 4-2 at the YMCA.
 
The Aggies improved to 9-7 on the season. Blanco won his fifth straight singles match to improve to 10-5 on the season. Blanco won 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 3 singles over Lewis Scott. Ivanov won at No. 2 singles to win his fifth straight. He defeated Josh Lazenby, 6-3, 6-2. Ivanov is now 11-5 on the season.
 
A&T lost the doubles point as junior Esteban Lopez and Ivanov were defeated by Rhodri Atkinson and Lazenby 6-4 at No. 1 doubles. The Bears clinched the doubles point at No. 3 ddoubles when Patrik Alvestrand and Scott defeated freshmen Ian Pedersen and Ethan Baly 6-3.
 
The Aggies did get one doubles win as freshman Jorge Perez and Blanco defeated Joel Hemming and Mauricio Hernandez 6-0. The Perez and Blanco duo is 7-4 on the season.
 
The Aggies other two singles wins came at No. 1 and No. 5. Lopez won his third straight and improved to 12-3 on the season as he defeated Atkinson 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 at No. 1. Lopez has more wins than any other Aggie since the program was reinstated in 2015.
 
Perez defeated Alvestrand 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5 to improve to 9-6 on the season. The Aggies only singles loss came at No. 6 as Pederson lost to Connor Gibson 6-3, 6-4. The Baly/Hernandez No.4 singles match when unfinished. Baly won the first set 6-3, lost the second 6-4 and was trailing 5-4 in the third.
 
A&T will be back in action Sunday, March 27 when they head to Farmville, Va., to face Big South Conference opponent Longwood at 1 p.m.