NCCU at Duke

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) – For the second consecutive season, the North Carolina Central University men’s tennis team opened the regular season with a matchup against the Blue Devils of Duke University, in the Sunday, Feb. 5 match, Duke took a 7-0 win.
 
Director of tennis and head men’s tennis coach D. Curtis Lawson, begins the 2012 season with three returners; senior Alejandro Espitia (captain), senior Jack Waissen (co-captain), and junior Jose Fabara, who returns after a year studying at UNC Chapel Hill, while adding three freshmen to the mix; Fabrice George (Kingstown, St. Vincent), Jamal Hoyte (Nassau, Bahamas) and Tamina Kienka (Lagos, Nigeria)
 
The season opener began with doubles competition, Waissen and Espitia combined their efforts as the No. 1 doubles team, where they were defeat 8-2 by Chris Mengel and David Holland.  Fabara teamed up with freshman partner Kienka.  The pair dropped an 8-2 decision to Jason Tahir and Cale Hammond.
 
As the match progressed to singles play, No. 1 singles player Waissen fell to Torsten Wiektoska, 6-2, 6-2.  Kienka debuted at the No. 2 singles player and loss to nationally ranked #110 Fred Saba, 6-0, 6-1.  Duke’s Jason Tahir defeated Fabara, 6-1, 6-1.  Espitia faced Luke Marchese and loss 6-2, 6-1 and Hammond defeated Hoyte, 6-0, 6-0.
 
The mighty maroon returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 12 with the first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference match of the season against South Carolina State in Orangeburg, S.C., at 12:00 p.m.