NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State men's tennis closed out its regular season with a 6-1 loss to James Madison on Sunday afternoon at the NSU Tennis Complex.
 
The Spartans saw their six-match win streak end after the Dukes won the doubles point and five of six singles matches. NSU fell to 7-4 following its first loss since March 14. The team now turns its attention to next weekend's MEAC Tournament, held on Saturday and Sunday at ODU's Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
 
Senior Andres Alcaraz secured NSU's lone win at No. 2 singles. He lost the first set 6-4 before storming back to win 6-2, 6-2 in the next two sets over Alvaro Arce of JMU (7-6).
 
"Today, we had a lot of close matches in singles. It just came down to the execution on the big points and in the key moments," said head coach Larry Holmes. "Still, I am pleased with where we are right now heading into the tournament."
 
Freshman Santiago Rendon came closest to giving NSU another point in the match. He won the first set at No. 3 singles, 7-5, but his JMU opponent Oscar Hernandez returned the favor with a 6-4 win in the second set and a third-set tiebreaker victory at 10-4.
 
Junior Federico Rebecchini dropped a 6-3, 6-4 decision to Holden Koons at No. 1 singles, and the Dukes also won the fourth, fifth and sixth singles matches. Paul Mendoza (6-3, 6-0) won at No. 4 singles over freshman Ivan Ivars, while William Karpinski (6-1, 6-1) defeated sophomore Ibrahim Abbas at the fifth position.
 
Senior Ignacio Guevel came up just short in the first set at No. 6 singles to Mario Pena, 7-5, but his JMU opponent won more easily in the second set, 6-0.
 
In doubles, Koons and Mendoza topped Rebecchini and Guevel at the top spot in the lineup, 6-3. The doubles point was also secured when Karpinski and Gonzalo Adis won at No. 3 doubles, 6-0, over Abbas and Ivars. Alcaraz and Rendon were trailing 4-3 at the second position to Arce and Hernandez when the match was abandoned.
 
The Spartans will play in the MEAC Tournament semifinals on Saturday at 12 p.m. They secured the North's No. 1 seed after defeating Morgan State, Coppin State and Howard this year for the division title. They will take on the No. 2 seed from the South.