BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men's tennis team went 2-0 to open up play on the home court, defeating the University of the Cumberlands (0-1), 7-0, and Northern Kentucky University, 6-1, Saturday afternoon at the Greg Adams Tennis Center.
 
EKU (2-3) swept the doubles in both matches. Gabriel Ruiz and Parth Aggarwal teamed up to clinch the point in both matches.
 
Against the Norse (0-1), the Colonels went up 3-0 after Ramon van Flymen (6-3, 6-3) and Ruiz (6-1, 6-3) picked up wins at No. 1 and No. 4 singles, respectively. NKU's Jorge Rodriguez picked up a 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles to move the score to 3-1.  
 
Aggarwal picked up a first set victory, 6-1, at No. 2 singles over Blaine Carr but fell in the second set, 5-7. The two battled in game one of the third set, but the New Delhi, India native outlasted NKU, clinching the match for the Colonels, 6-1.
 
Josh Piunti picked up a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 5 singles and Nicolas Castaldo notched the win after the Norse pushed to a super tiebreaker, 6-4, 4-6 (10-4).

"It was a great opportunity to get all our guys some tennis today," Head Coach Rob Oertel stated. "I was very pleased with the progress of our new guys."
 
Newcomers Juan Soria and Eduardo Cabral picked up their first wins as Colonels as they teamed up to go 1-0 at No. 2 doubles and 1-0 at No. 3 doubles. They each tallied their first individual wins as well, going 1-0 on the day.
 
Castaldo, Aggarwal and van Flymen all went undefeated on the day in both singles and doubles. 
 
EKU travels to Virginia next weekend to take on James Madison and Virginia Tech on Friday at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Colonels will then play at the University of Virginia at 12 p.m. on Feb. 3.