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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 28th-ranked Christopher Newport men's tennis team swept doubles action against North Carolina Wesleyan on Saturday, but the Battling Bishops rallied to win five of six singles bouts to upset the Captains by a final score of 5-4. The Captains fall to 6-5 on the season while the Bishops improve to 9-3. 

The Captains and Bishops were playing at the James River Country Club, marking the first ever collegiate dual held by the brand new facility. Weather concerns forced a move from the outdoor courts on campus to the indoor facility at the JRCC. 

CNU raced out to a 3-0 lead after a competitive round of doubles play. David Reed and Justin Cerny ran their season dual record to 5-5 with a tight win at No. 1, taking down Sebastian Sikh and Ioannis Brokakis by a final score of 9-7. Senior Michael Dodd and partner Nicholas Ruzicka also squeaked out a win at No. 3, capturing an 8-6 win over Ben Tolhurst and J.D. Telles. 

Rounding out the Captains points in tandem play was sophomore William Trang pairing with rookie Andy Mason. The duo matched Cerny and Reed with a team-high fifth win in doubles play after downing David Chang and David Appleqvist by a score of 8-3.  

In singles action, the Bishops stormed back winning the first four points to take a 4-3 edge with two bouts left to play. At No. 5, Christopher Newport senior Arttu Fiva drew the team score even with a win over Mark Sokolov (7-5, 6-2), leaving it up to the No. 6 matchup. Fiva secured his 59th career singles victory with the win. 

The battle at No. 6 featured David Chang from N.C. Wesleyan and reigning CAC Player of the Week Nicholas Ruzicka and the two traded blows in a lengthy first set. Ruzicka managed to win the first 7-6 (7), but Chang rallied to win the second 6-3. With the match on the line, another close battle resulted in the Bishops capturing a win behind Chang's clincher (6-7 (7), 6-3, 7-5). 

The Captains will not have time to dwell on the setback, as they turn around to face No. 33 Washington & Lee University at home on Sunday, March 19. The teams will play starting at 10:30 am.