NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport junior Dominic Lacombe handed nationally-ranked Mary Washington senior Matt Miles his first career loss in conference play as the two battled on the top line of singles action on Saturday afternoon, but the Captains fell to the Eagles, 8-1, as a team. Lacombe improved to 6-2 at No. 1 singles with the win as CNU falls to 7-6 overall, 2-1 in CAC action. 

Lacombe's first career win over a nationally-ranked opponent came against Miles, who was pegged as the No. 48 ranked singles player in Division III in the ITA/Oracle National Rankings released this fall. Miles was also ranked No. 7 in the Atlantic South Regional Rankings released earlier this week while Lacombe checked in at No. 15. After dropping the first set, 7-5, Lacombe shut out Miles in the second set for a 6-0 win. In the tiebreaker, the Captains' junior held on for a 10-7 win, capturing the match 5-7, 6-0, 10-7. 

While Lacombe's win was the highlight of the day for CNU, the Captains were locked in tight matches across the board. In singles, senior William Trang won eight games in his loss at No. 4 while Andy Mason picked up seven game victories in his match at No. 2. 

In doubles play, the Captains fell behind, 3-0, with the Eagles earning 8-3, 8-4, and 8-7 wins in order. The close match at No. 3 swung in favor of the visitors, but James Baron and Lacombe  battled until the end against Michael Fleming and Patrick Hughes. 

Mary Washington improved to 13-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play with the win, which snapped a four-match win streak for the Captains. CNU is scheduled to return to play on Sunday at 1:00 pm against St. Mary's (Md.) for Senior Day. If weather forces a schedule change, the Captains will take on the Seahawks at Noon on the indoor courts at the James River Country Club.