Mount Olive College digest

Published in Sports on February 9, 2006 2:24 PM

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Mount Olive slipped three spots and returned to No. 7 in this week's NCAA Division II East Region Poll, it was announced Wednesday. The Trojans, who have alternated between No. 4 and No. 7 in each of the first four polls this season, have been ranked in the East Region Top 10 in 19 consecutive polls, dating back to January 2004.

Mount Olive is 16-5 overall, 13-5 in the East Region and 10-4 in the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference. The poll reflects games played through Sunday and does not include Monday's 85-78 loss at home against Barton.

Mount Olive is one of three CVAC members ranked in the regional top 10, joining top-ranked Barton and No. 8 Queens, which returned to the poll for the first time since the initial poll of the season.

Four teams from the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference are ranked in the poll, while one Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference team and one independent are in the top 10.

The conference champions from the CVAC, PSAC and WVIAC earn bids to the NCAA II East Regional in March, along with the top five at-large teams. The regional poll will be announced each Wednesday through March 1.

Mount Olive returns to action Saturday as the Trojans play host to Queens in a CVAC match-up and a battle of regional top 10 teams. Tip-off is 4 p.m. at Kornegay Arena.

Men's tennis

team falls

Mount Olive split its six singles matches, but nationally 23rd-ranked Barton won two-of-three doubles matches to defeat the Trojans 5-4 in men's tennis Tuesday at Walker Tennis Center on the campus of Mount Olive College. The match does not count toward the CVAC standings.

Trojan sophomore Gabriel Garcia won his third consecutive match at No. 1 singles, posting a 6-2, 4-6 (10-6) victory. Garcia posted wins over Methodist and Division I Coastal Carolina Saturday. Fellow sophomores Guillherme Serra and Felipe Olarte posted straight-set wins and Nos. 3 and 4 singles respectively.

The Trojans had two match points at No. 2 doubles and held a 6-3 lead at No. 3 doubles, but Barton came back to win both eight-game pro sets.

Mount Olive falls to 1-3 with the loss. The Trojans' other two losses have come against Division I opponents.

Mount Olive travels "south of the border" this weekend for a pair of matches against nationally-ranked teams. The Trojans go to Greenwood, S.C., Saturday to take on No. 22 Lander, then head to Spartanburg Sunday to face No. 7 USC Upstate.

The Trojans and Barton play their CVAC match April 11 at Wilson, N.C.

SINGLES

Gabriel Garcia (MOC) d. Ching (BC) 6-2, 4-6 (10-6)

Jenner (BC) d. Bruno Capato (MOC) 6-3, 7-6

Guillherme Serra (MOC) d. Andjelic (BC) 6-2, 6-3

Felipe Olarte (MOC) d. Reddick (BC) 6-4, 6-1

Jackmon (BC) d. Efrain Cayana (MOC) 6-3, 7-6

Soderblom (BC) d. Lars Faber (MOC) 6-4, 6-3

DOUBLES

Garcia/Cayana (MOC) d. Ching/Simmons (BC) 8-5

Jackmon/Andjelic (BC) d. Capato/Serra 9-8

Jenner/Bawyot (BC) d. Olarte/Faber (MOC) 8-6

Women's tennis

match pushed back

Mount Olive's season-opening women's tennis match against Fayetteville State, originally scheduled for Thursday afternoon, has been pushed back a day to Friday. Match time is 2 p.m. at Walker Tennis Center on the campus of Mount Olive College.

The match was rescheduled due to weather forecasts for Thursday. Temperatures are expected to be in the 40's with wind chills in the 30's. Friday's forecast high is in the mid-50's.

Mount Olive was originally scheduled to play at Converse Friday, but that match was moved to March 2.

MOC Sports Information