BUENA VISTA, Va. — The New Jersey City University men's tennis team suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday afternoon, May 1, as the Gothic Knights — ranked #12 in the NCAA Division III Northeast Region — traveled down to Virginia to face Southern Virginia — ranked #6 in the Atlantic South region. The home Knights defeated NJCU by a score of 9-0, though several Gothic Knights took multiple games off their highly-ranked foes.

In doubles play, NJCU (4-1) dropped second (freshmen Jordi Julia (Barcelona, Spain/IES Sant Quirze del Valles) and Gerard Loras (Tortosa, Spain/Col·legi Diocesà Sagrada Família)) and third doubles (freshmen Alejandro Ley (Las Palmas, Spain/I.E.S. Politécnico) and Toni Cabot (Palma, Spain/IES Albuhaira)) in scoreless sets, but the top pair of junior Theo Bourghelle (Lesquin, France/LaSalle Lille) and freshman Nico Teynie (Rouen, France/Lycée Val de Seine) took four games off the Knights (10-5) despite falling 8-4.

In singles play, Bourghelle — the #11 ranked player in the Northeast — had to withdraw during the first set for the injury default and his first loss of the year. The junior transfer has been battling an ankle injury. Teynie took five games off his foe at second singles, but fell 6-2, 6-3 for his first defeat as well. Ley also grabbed five games in his match at third singles, but also suffered his first loss, 6-2, 6-3. Cabot played the most competitive match on the afternoon at fourth singles, but he however also dropped his first of the year, falling 6-4, 7-6(5). Julia fell at fifth singles, also 6-2, 6-3, while Loras fell 6-0, 6-2 in the sixth spot — both players are now 3-2 on the season.

What's Next
The Gothic Knights look to rebound in their next match when they host Rutgers-Camden in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament Semifinal round. Top-seeded NJCU will host the #4 Scarlet Raptors at the Lincoln Park Tennis Courts in Jersey City, N.J., on Friday, May 7, at 1:00 p.m. Should the Gothic Knights win, they will face the winner of #2 The College of New Jersey and #3 Ramapo College on Sunday, May 9, in the championship. The action will be live streamed via GothicViision.