BLACKSBURG— The Virginia Tech men's tennis team fell in a spirited affair No. 7 NC State today, 4-2, inside the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center.
The two sides exchanged blows throughout the doubles matches, but NC State ultimately grabbed the point with a win by their ranked duo on Court 1 and their tandem on Court 2.
Tech regrouped heading into singles and came out firing. Redshirt-senior Mitch Harper fell behind 4-0 in the first set on Court 2, before winning 13 of the next 16 games, defeating No. 92 Tadas Babelis, 7-6(6), 6-1.
Senior Alex Ribeiro was locked in on Court 3, as he downed Rafa Izquierdo Luque, 6-4, 6-4, to bring the Hokies within a point of the Wolfpack in the overall score, 3-2.
Carlo Donato was in the midst of battling back into the second set on Court 4, nearly breaking Yannai Barkai before a close line call was upheld by the referee, clinching the match for NC State, 7-6(6), 6-3.
The Hokies will return to the courts on Friday, March 13, at 2:30 p.m. to face Louisville at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center.
Singles
1. #20 Alexis Galarneau (NCST) def. #112 Henrik Korsgaard (VT) 6-4, 6-3
2. #47 Mitch Harper (VT) def. #92 Tadas Babelis (NCST) 7-6(6), 6-1
3. Alex Ribeiro (VT) def. Rafa Izquierdo Luque (NCST) 6-4, 6-4
4. Yannai Barkai (NCST) def. Carlo Donato (VT) 7-6(6), 6-3
5. Matthis Ross (VT) vs. Robert Turzak (NCST) 4-6, 6-3, 3-2 unf.
6. Robin Catry (NCST) def. Chase Bernstine (VT) 6-4, 6-2
Order of finish: 2, 1, 6, 3, 4*
Doubles
1. #18 Babelis/Barkai (NCST) def. Korsgaard/Ribeiro (VT) 6-3
2. Galarneau/Turzak (NCST) def. Ross/Kros (VT) 6-4
3. Harper/Donato (VT) vs. Izquierdo Luque/Shick (NCST) 4-5
Order of finish: 1, 2*