NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men's tennis team put together a strong performance at the NYCC Collegiate Invitational this past weekend at Old Dominion's Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
 
The Spartans got the momentum going early on, winning four of their five matches on Friday, including both doubles showdowns. Deniz Okyay and Jakub Solarski defeated College of Charleston pair Juan Diego Rojas Mora and Evan Pugh by a score of 6-4, while Frederick McRae and Boris Lunin earned a 6-2 win over Virginia Wesleyan's Felix Bevc and Ole Behrman.
 
Okyay beat Pugh 6-1, 6-1 in singles, as Solarski bested Behrman 6-3, 6-4. McRae nearly finished off an undefeated day for the Spartans, falling in three sets to Bevc 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
 
Norfolk State split doubles matches on Saturday. McRae and Lunin won a thrilling match 7-6 (4) against Virginia Wesleyan's Rafael Rullan and Carlos Rullan, but James Madison's Edson Sanchez and Harrison Lee defeated Okyay and Solarski 6-3.
 
McRae bounced back from his Friday singles loss with vengeance, taking down JMU's Mario Pena in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2.
 
The Spartans also came close in several matches against the Dukes. Lee bested Solarski in a three-set battle 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, while Sanchez narrowly avoided a comeback in a 6-4, 7-6 (5) result against Okyay. In NSU's only singles match against VWU that day, Rullan defeated Lunin in a win by retirement.
 
The Spartans earned one win on Sunday from their matchup with William & Mary. McRae and Lunin combined to defeat Albert Hansen and Nikita Bortnichek 6-2, while Tribe pair Julian Lozano and Youssef Sadek won by retirement over Okyay and Solarski.
 
W&M won all four singles matches between the teams on Sunday, with two going to third sets. Sean Joseph narrowly edged past Solarski in a marathon match, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5. Bill Duo defeated Okyay 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.  
 
Alexander Karman took down McRae in straight sets, while Bortnichek won by retirement over Lunin.
 
NSU returns to the court on Oct. 6 for the Spartan Fall Invitational at UNC Greensboro.