NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Salisbury University tennis teams dropped their matches against Christopher Newport University on Sunday afternoon; both teams fell 7-2 to the Captains.
Men: Christopher Newport 7, Salisbury 2
The men's team saw its five-match winning streak come to an end against Christopher Newport (12-7, 4-1 CAC).
Junior Daniel Albers had a hand in both Salisbury (9-3, 3-1 CAC) points; the Denville, N.J., native won his singles match and teamed with sophomore Eric Spangler for a doubles victory.
Albers defeated Sam Thomson in the No. 1 singles position, 6-3, 6-0.
Albers and Spangler, the No. 11 team in the Atlantic South region, defeated the team ranked right behind them, Steven Boslet and Sam Thomson, 8-5, in the top doubles match.
Two Sea Gulls took the first set of their singles matches but ultimately fell in the third set. Spangler took the first set of the No. 2 matchup 6-2 but dropped the second set 6-4. The Clinton, Md., native took the third set to a tiebreaker but dropped the deciding set 7-6 (7-4).
In the No. 5 slot, sophomore Matthew McGaffney won his first set 6-4, then lost the second and third sets 6-1 to drop the matchup.
Senior Shane Gunther, playing in the No. 4 spot, took his second set to extra games, losing 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), as did his brother, sophomore Shanon Gunther. Shanon Gunther dropped his matchup, the No. 6 spot in the lineup, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).
Each of the doubles matchups were competitive but went the way of the Captains. McGaffney and junior Demetri Vrahnos dropped the No. 2 match 8-4, while the Gunther brothers dropped the final doubles match 8-5.
Women: Christopher Newport 7, Salisbury 2
After winning four consecutive matches, the Salisbury (8-7, 3-2 CAC) women dropped their second straight match by the score of 7-2.
Sophomore Natalie Savage won her fifth-straight singles match, defeating Christopher Newport's (8-10, 4-1 CAC) Jodi Noland 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 1 singles matchup.
The Sea Gulls would take the No. 2 singles matchup when junior Roxanne Alban's opponent would retire in the second set. Alban had dropped the first set, 6-2, but was winning the second set 3-2 before Logan Eldridge could not continue.
Freshman Claudia Lohn had the matchup of the contest for the second-straight match, taking her opponent to a third, marathon, set. The Madison, Conn., native won the first set 6-3 of the No. 5 matchup before dropping the second set 6-1. Lohn and Kelsey Clark would battle in the deciding set super tiebreaker, which Clark would take 10-7.
Junior Sam Babo would battle in the No. 6 position, dropping her match 6-1, 7-6 (7-3).
The top two doubles matches were back-and-forth as well, with the Captains ultimately coming out on top. Savage and Alban dropped the No. 1 matchup 8-6, while juniors Allison Lutz and Katie Youlios fell 8-5 in the No. 2 spot.
The men's team will host University of Mary Washington on Saturday, April 12, starting at 1 p.m. Both teams will host St. Mary's College of Maryland the next day, with the same starting time.
