No. 35 N.C. State Downs No. 37 UNCW, 5-2

RALEIGH, NC Feb. 23, 2013 – No. 35 N.C. State won the doubles point and recorded victories in four of six singles matches to down No. 37 UNCW, 5-2, in men’s tennis action Saturday at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center.

Sam Williams handed NCSU’s Thomas Weigel his first loss of the season at No. 3 singles
Courtesy: Joe Browning

The Wolfpack improved to 6-5 on the season with the win indoors and handed the 6-3 Seahawks their second straight loss.

N.C. State picked up the early point when the Wolfpack won at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. The team of Dave Thomson and Sean Weber, ranked 45^th nationally, was the first off the court when they upset No. 8 Kosta Blank and Chris Cooprider of UNCW, 8-4. The No. 3 tandem of Robbie Mudge and Thomas Weigel then wrapped up the point with an 8-5 verdict over Kaue Pereira and Michael Reilly of UNCW.

The Wolfpack pushed the margin to 2-0 with a win at No. 4 singles when Thomson downed Pereira in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2. No. 125 Austin Powell then outlasted Cooprider, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, at No. 2 singles to increase the lead to 3-0.

UNCW got on the board when Sam Williams knocked off the previously unbeaten Weigel, 7-5, 7-6, in a tight match. Weigel entered the match with an unblemished 9-0 singles record and had won three consecutive matches in straight sets.

No. 17 Rafael Aita of UNCW then closed the gap to 3-2 when the Lima, Peru, netter trimmed Mudge, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, at the top of the lineup.

But Weber defeated Blank, 7-5, 6-3, at No. 5 singles to clinch the match and help the Wolfpack avenge a 4-2 loss to UNCW last March in Wilmington.

The Seahawks open a two-match home stand on Wednesday, Feb.27, when Coastal Carolina visits for a 2 p.m. match.