EAST GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T set a new program record since the rebirth of the men's tennis program in 2015 after a 6-1 win against Johnson C. Smith Sunday at Dudley High School.
The Aggies improved to 4-4 on the season. It is the most wins the Aggies have registered since the program's return after it was discontinued in 2006. The Aggies won three matches in 2016, including one Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) match.
"This is one of the best seasons we've had in a long time," said freshman Ethan Baly said. "It feels great to be part of the history. Number 1-6, we have to play our best and put our best foot forward in every match. This is one of the toughest conditions that we've played in so far this season. The wind was a big equalizer in the match. We were able to go back to our solid bases and conduct ourselves in a way that brought us success."
The winds reached as high as 23 miles per hour during the match. A&T won the doubles point by winning all three matches. Eder Blanco and Jorge Perez won at the No. 3 by forfeit. Esteban Lopez and Vasil Ivanov won the doubles point after defeating Kofi Bowe and Tayvon Lassiter 6-2 at the No. 1 spot.
The Aggies finished the doubles matches after Baly and freshman Ian Pedersen won 6-3 against Tinasche Terebereker and Jerome Adonis at the No. 2.
JCSU tied the match at one after Isaiah Nickerson defeated Lopez by forfeit at the No. 5 position, but A&T took bounced back after Pedersen won at the No. 6 singles by forfeit.
Senior Nolan Martino defeated Tayvon Lassiter 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 4. Ivanov clinched the match with his fifth consecutive singles win as he won 6-1, 6-1 over Bowe at No. 1. A&T took a 5-1 lead after Baly defeated Adonis 6-4, 6-1 at the No. 3. In the final singles match, Perez won the first set 6-3 against Terebereker, but Terebereker won the second set 6-4, forcing a tiebreaker.
With the tiebreaker tied at seven, Perez scattered the ball in different spots on the court to get his opponent out of position and slammed home the last three points to win the tiebreaker point and match.
"I feel so well because I had the support of my teammates and the support of the people that came today," Perez said. "I feel so grateful to the people that came today to give me a gift of energy. This was the key to success today."
A&T travels to Rock Hill, S.C., to face Anderson University Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Rock Hill Tennis Center.
