Results

HAMPTON, Va. – The Norfolk State men's tennis team improved to 2-0 in MEAC Northern Division play by defeating rival Hampton 4-3 on Monday afternoon at Neilson-Screen Stadium.

The Spartans (2-7, 2-0 MEAC) trailed 3-2, but won the two remaining singles matches to claim the victory. Freshmen Agustin Carrizo and Ignacio Guevel were not available when the two teams met in Hampton's 5-2 victory on March 8 in Orlando, Fla. However, the duo claimed victories for the Spartans at the Nos. 5 and 6 singles positions, respectively, to carry NSU to victory. 

Guevel cruised to a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Hampton's Luke Thompson, while Carrizo defeated Peter Odegbami 6-4, 7-5, completing the comeback for Norfolk State in the back-and-forth match.

The Spartans opened up with a 1-0 lead after they swept all three doubles matches. Carrizo teamed with Flavian Fernandez at the No. 2 position to defeat Hampton's pair of Fedor Shirin and Thompson 6-0, while Vini Da Silva and Guevel clinched the doubles point for Norfolk State with a 6-4 win over Odegbami and Charles Hudson at the No. 3. With the doubles point already in the Spartans' pocket, their top duo of Andres Alcaraz and Dan Dumitrascu eked out a thrilling tiebreaker over Matt Foster-Eastwick and Juan Araoz, 7-6 (7-2).

Hampton (4-8, 2-2), however, bounced back to take three of the first four singles points.

Araoz claimed a straight-set victory over Alcaraz 6-0, 6-0 at the No. 1 position, knotting the score at 1-1. Dumitrascu responded with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Shirin at No. 3, giving Norfolk State a short-lived 2-1 lead.

Foster-Estwick's win at No. 2 and Hudson's victory at No. 4 put Hampton ahead 3-2 and needing to win just one of the final two matches to claim the team win. Foster Estwick defeated Da Silva in a thrilling three-setter, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, while Hudson won 6-3, 6-3 over Fernandez. 

But Carrizo and Guevel saved the day for NSU, each picking up his second singles win of the year to help the Spartans close out the match. 

Norfolk State will begin a two-match road trip to Baltimore, Md. on Saturday when the Spartans take on Morgan State at 2 p.m.