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BALTIMORE, Md. – In a hotly contested NCAA Tournament Second Round matchup at 17^th-ranked Johns Hopking University (17-2) eliminated the 30^th-ranked Christopher Newport Captains (15-10) on Saturday afternoon, by a final score of 5-1. The Captains wrapped up their second ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship with the loss, running their overall record to 15-10 for the year.
 
Just under four weeks after facing the Blue Jays in the regular season finale, the Captains faced JHU again, this time in the Bare Hills Racquet Club in Baltimore, Md. Due to rain and unplayable conditions on the outdoor courts, the teams moved indoors and finished out the action in front of a large crowd on Saturday.
 
Rookie Dominic Lacombe captured the lone point for CNU in the NCAA Tournament match, winning his bout at No. 4 singles. The Captains faced a stiff test in singles after falling behind, 3-0, after doubles, despite a pair of close losses at 1 and 3.
 
In the first match this season, juniors Justin Cerny and David Reed extended their opponents at No. 1 doubles to a 9-7 finish, and would battle against the same pair again on Saturday. Facing Joseph Cartledge and Jeremy Dubin, ranked No. 4 in the Atlantic South Regional rankings, the Captains would suffer an 8-6 setback. After Hopkins broke on the opening game, they were able to withstand the Captains holding serve the rest of the match to edge out the Captains top-ranked pairing.
 
The three doubles match was tight throughout, with seniors Michael Dodd and Arttu Fiva taking a 5-4 lead by breaking the Blue Jays serve. The home team responded though, winning four of the next five serves to take an 8-6 win and the doubles sweep. CNU sophomore William Trang and rookie Andy Mason took the loss in two doubles, 8-2.
 
With a high mountain to climb facing a 3-0 deficit after doubles, the Captains showed no signs of giving up once singles began. As the first sets progressed, CNU battled across the board, picking up two wins and one tight loss. Rookie Andy Mason stretched his opponent to a seventh game in the first before falling, 7-5. Playing at No. 3, he would then suffer a second-set loss as Johns Hopkins took a 4-0 lead in the match.
 
Facing elimination, the Captains would not go quietly. Rookie Dominic Lacombe took over his match at No. 4, downing Cody Kim 6-4, 6-0 to get the Captains on the board. Three courts over, David Reed rallied back after a 6-1 loss in the first to capture a thrilling 7-5 win in the second. At No. 2 singles, Justin Cerny got out to one-set lead, winning 6-4, and at No. 5, William Trang held off his opponent for a 7-5 win in his first set. Finally, sophomore Nicholas Ruzicka jumped out to an early lead on his opponent, Justin Kang, at No. 6.
 
With all four matches close, the deciding bout would come at No. 1, where Jeremy Dubin outlasted David Reed (6-1, 5-7, 6-2). The Centennial Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Year would hold off CNU's veteran to clinch the match for the home team in his senior year. Dubin, ranked No. 5 in the Atlantic South, defeated Reed, ranked No. 13 in the region.
 
Hopkins will now advance to face the winner of the John Carroll University and Wesleyan (CT) match being played Saturday afternoon.

CNU is now 2-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, with a pair of first-round victories in 2008 and 2017. It is the first time the Captains faced Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Tournament, while the Blue Jays improve to 5-1 all-time against CNU. 

The Captains graduate just two seniors from this year's roster, as Fiva and Dodd have been four-year players for the Captains, helping build the team to a conference champion and NCAA Tournament participant. Fiva will graduate as one of the all-time leaders in singles victories, and Dodd put the finishing touches on a stellar senior campaign, winning 17 doubles matches and going 7-0 in singles play. 
 
The season is not quite wrapped up for the Captains, who will see Reed and Cerny travel to Chattanooga, Tenn. in two weeks for the 2017 NCAA DIII Men's Tennis Doubles Championship. Action will begin May 25.

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