HAMPTON, Va. – The Norfolk State men's tennis team took a close loss at Hampton on Thursday morning, falling 4-3 at Nielson-Screen Stadium.
 
The Spartans (4-7) dropped the opening doubles point, ultimately making the difference in the match. Hampton (1-5) earned a 6-3 victory at the No. 3 doubles position, before clinching the point with a 6-4 win at the No. 3 slot.
 
Deniz Okyay quickly tied the match 1-1 from there, cruising past Yanozie Armadike 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 2 singles position. Frederick McRae gave NSU a 2-1 lead by winning a three-set thriller against Kevin Jorquera 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3 at the No. 3 slot.
 
Hampton's Donte Armbrister got the momentum back with a gritty 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (5) triumph over Jakub Solarski at the top spot of the lineup before Benedict Badza earned a win by opponent retirement against Boris Lunin on Court 4.
 
Fresh off receiving his second consecutive MEAC Rookie of the Week award, Igor Kubalka kept the Spartans alive with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph against Aryan Arora at the No. 5 position. Marko Stoikovski pulled out a win in the pivotal No. 6 match, defeating Michele Elia 7-5 (5), 6-3.
 
Norfolk State will have nearly a week to regroup, returning to action against North Carolina A&T on Wednesday, Mar. 12 at 12 p.m.
 
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