Belmont, N.C. – The King University men's and women's tennis teams traveled to Belmont Abbey College on Wednesday in a Conference Carolinas matchup. The Tornado women fell 6-1, while the men dropped a 7-0 decision.
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Women:
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At No. 1 singles,
Deniz Aytun earned King's lone victory of the day with a straight-sets win, defeating Kaitlin Nguyen 6-2, 6-3. Belmont Abbey responded by taking the remaining five singles matches in straight sets to secure the team victory.
Rani Malhoe fell at No. 2, followed by the
Shellby Tranchita,
Trinity Moore, Ruth Robinson, and
Sarah Hale, as the Crusaders controlled the remainder of singles play.
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In the doubles competition, Belmont Abbey claimed the doubles points with wins at both completed positions. The duo of Aytun/Malhoe fell in a tight 7-5 decision at No. 1 doubles, while Malhoe/Robinson dropped a 6-2 match at No. 2. The No. 3 doubles match went unfinished.
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Singles competition
- Deniz Aytun (King) vs Kaitlin Nguyen (BAC) King: 2-0 (6-2, 6-3)
- Rani Malhoe (King) vs Alexis Burkhalter (BAC) BAC: 2-0 (6-2, 6-0)
- Shellby Tranchita (King) vs Mackenzie McCarthy (BAC) BAC: 2-0 (6-1, 6-0)
- Trinity Moore (King) vs Hanley Riner (BAC) BAC: 2-0 (6-1, 6-0)
- Ruth Robison (King) vs Leilany Sanchez (BAC) BAC: 2-0 (6-1, 6-1)
- Sarah Hale (King) vs Davis McSwain (BAC) BAC: 2-0 (6-1, 6-0)
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Doubles competition
- Aytun/Malhoe (King) vs Senah/Goncalves (BAC) BAC: 7-5
- Malhoe/Robinson (King) vs Zmushko/Auger (BAC) BAC: 6-2
- Tranchita/Blecher (King) vs Blank (EC) DNP
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Men:
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The closest match of the day game at No. 1 singles, where
Danny Neleman battled after dropping the first set before ultimately falling in a tightly contested super tiebreak, 1-6, 7-5, 12-10. At No. 2 singles,
Bar Meshel dropped a competitive match 6-4, 6-4, while
Lucas Machado pushed his match to three sets before falling 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 at No. 3.
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Belmont Abbey continued its momentum through the lineup as
Beckham Sylvester,
Rohan Chalisgaonkar, and
Ben Jones were each defeated in straight sets.
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In doubles play, the Crusaders secured the point with wins at all three positions. Machado and Neleman fell 6-4 at No. 1 doubles, while the pairs of Chalisgaonkar/Sylvester and Jones/Meshel were also defeated. The fourth doubles match was not played.
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Singles competition
- Danny Neleman (King) vs Ricard Novell (BAC) BAC: 2-1 (1-6, 7-5, 12-10)
- Bar Meshel (King) vs Issac Buerkle (BAC) BAC: 2-0 (6-4, 6-4)
- Lucas Machado (King) vs Cameron Simpson (BAC) BAC: 2-0 (6-4, 3-6, 5-7)
- Beckham Sylvester (King) vs Peru Bayo (BAC) BAC: 2-0 (6-1, 6-2)
- Rohan Chalisgaonkar (King) vs Tim Stemler (BAC) BAC: 2-0 (6-2, 6-3)
- Ben Jones (King) vs Joel Lamotte (BAC) BAC: 2-0 (6-2, 6-1)
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Doubles competition
- Machado/Neleman (King) vs Fremaux/Buerkle (BAC) BAC: 6-4
- Chalisgaonkar/Sylvester (King) vs Simpson/Korta (BAC) BAC: 7-5
- Jones/Meshel (King) vs Stemler/Ampong (EC) BAC: 6-1
- Kellner/Van Dougen (King) vs Korta/Rizzo (BAC): DNP
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Up Next: The Tornado return to action on March 20, 2026, where they are hosting North Greenville to continue Conference Carolinas play, looking to bounce back from Wednesday's results. King will aim to build momentum on their home courts as the season progresses. Â Â
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