MOUNT OLIVE (Feb. 18) – Despite a nationally-ranked win in the doubles and singles sessions, the University of Mount Olive men's tennis team was defeated by a score of 6-1 against No. 17 Wingate on Saturday afternoon at John Neal Walker Tennis Center.

With the loss, the Trojans fall to 3-4 this season with three more non-conference dual matches scheduled ahead of conference play which begins in mid-March. Meanwhile, Wingate improves to 3-1 overall with a pair of victories over Conference Carolinas opponents.

The Bulldogs claimed the doubles point after securing wins at the second and third positions on Saturday. Junior Guilherme Zotin de Oliveira and freshman Daniel Hammond captured their first nationally-ranked win by a 7-5 margin after defeating the No. 15 ranked doubles team of Florian Walcher and Luka Brown in the first slot. Juniors Adam Ibrahim and Diego Ortega Cadahia dropped a 6-2 decision to Edis Nokic and Gabriel Constantino in second doubles, while sophomore Elios Briand and freshman Bram Poel suffered a 7-6 (7-0) loss versus Carlo Rosselini and Federico Spinetta.

Wingate sealed the match win after taking five of the singles session. de Oliveira dropped a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) decision to No. 11 regionally-ranked Walcher in the first position, but Hammond rebounded with a 6-3, 6-3 straight sets victory over No. 46 nationally-ranked Constantino in the second slot. In third singles, Ibrahim battled in a 6-2, 7-5 loss to Nokic before senior Israel Rodriguez Rojas fell by a 6-3, 6-0 margin in the fourth position to Rosselini. Poel dropped a 6-1, 6-3 decision in the fifth slot to Jonas Grasmueck, and freshman Kabir Chhabria suffered a 6-3, 7-6 loss versus Kristopher Cancelado.

The Trojans are idle for the week before returning on Saturday, Feb. 25, to face Catawba in the John Neal Walker Tennis Center at 1 p.m.