MOUNT OLIVE (March 28) – In a Conference Carolinas action on Friday afternoon, the Trojans battled past North Greenville by a 4-3 margin while playing at the Vance Tennis Complex.
With the win, the University of Mount Olive men's tennis program improves to 6-7 overall with a 3-0 record in league play. It marks an eight-straight victory for UMO over the Trailblazers dating back to 2017 while continuing to hold a top spot in the conference standings. Meanwhile, North Greenville falls to 6-12 this season behind a 2-3 mark in league action.
Mount Olive dropped two of the three doubles matches to lose the opening point of the matchup. Sophomore
Kristoffer Dalbak and junior
Philip Peter Carstensen were downed 3-6 by Christo Timini and Juan Jose Arbelaez in the first doubles. In the second position, the junior duo
Niklas Gruenefeldt and
Bram Poel posted a 7-5 victory against Juho Kantola and Dean Kingsley while the freshmen
Luke Oosthuizen and
Joao Matias Sonaglia suffered a close 6-7 (6-8) loss versus Will Hernandez and Gabriel Pegoraro in the third slot.
The Trojans delivered a dominant performance in singles action after winning four of six matches to seal a 4-3 win. In the first singles, Dalbak recorded a 4-6, 3-6 loss against Timini before Gruenefeldt dealt a three-set 1-6, 6-4, 4-6 loss versus Kantola in the second slot. In the third position, Poel won being up 6-2, 3-1 versus Pegoraro due to retirement, while Carstensen battled to a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 victory over Arbelaez in the fourth singles. Sophomore
Hampus Hagglund rallied to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win against Hernandez, clinching the match in the fifth slot before freshman Hirmoa Nishikata sealed a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory in the sixth position over Kingsley.
The Trojans will return to Conference Carolinas action on Saturday, March 29, when they travel to face Young Harris at 2 p.m.
