RALEIGH, N.C. – Despite Breno Plentz and Maximilian Scholl clinching the doubles point and Scholl earning a win at No. 1 singles, the Gardner-Webb men's tennis team opened its spring campaign with a 5-2 defeat at North Carolina State.
 
"We had an opportunity to win," head coach Mike Griffith said. "We won the doubles point which was a huge momentum booster that continued during singles play. Despite the loss, we know that even when we don't play our best we can be competitive. Our guys are disappointed and are looking forward to the chance to bounce back next Friday at Charlotte."
 
NC State took the first doubles match before Adam Schmidt and Millen Hurrion won at No. 3 doubles. Plentz and Scholl gave the Runnin' Bulldogs an advantage heading into singles play, defeating Georgiy Malyshev and Michael Ogden, 7-6 [7-5] at No. 2 doubles, which put the visitors from GWU ahead, 1-0.
 
In singles play, NC State recorded victories in five of six matches, with Scholl, the 105^th ranked player in the nation, recording the lone victory for the Runnin' Bulldogs at No. 1 singles. Scholl defeated his opponent in three sets, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3.
 
Despite coming up short, a pair of Gardner-Webb players, Millen Hurrion (No. 2 singles) and Ross Gilbert (No. 6 singles) battled their opponents for three sets.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs will return to action in less than a week when they play at Charlotte, which is their second of five consecutive road games to begin the 2018 season.
 
The first home match for GWU will take play on Wednesday, February 7 when USC Upstate visits Boiling Springs, N.C. for a 2 p.m. match.