GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's tennis team started Southern Conference competition with a decisive 5-2 victory over Samford Sunday at the UNCG tennis courts.
 
The Spartans rebounded after dropping their doubles point to win five of the six singles matches over the Bulldogs. Everything worked for UNCG as it stopped a two-game slide.
 
Christopher Johns, Roger Rogowski, Nico Grewe, and David Flisberg all prevailed in straight sets to lead UNCG. Hugh Knapp won at No. 3 singles after his opponent retired. Knapp had won the first set by a 6-1 count.
 
"This was a nice win for us because we've been putting in work the whole season," Rogowski said. "To start off SoCon with a nice win is something we're proud of. We're happy to have a good start like this. The doubles were a bit of a letdown, but soon as we finished, we got it together and had a conversation about it. We weren't going to let it set us back. We said that today is our day. We're at home and we're going to use that to our advantage."
 
Flisberg enjoyed a 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 5 singles. Johns won by the same score but in reverse as he closed out the match with a bang by winning 6-1 in the second set. Grewe left little doubt about who the top singles player was on this afternoon as he captured a 6-1, 7-5 triumph.
 
Rogowski was pushed in his match at No. 4 singles, but he found a way to win, 7-6, 6-2.
 
"I think for me personally in my match, there was a bit of a momentum shift in the first set," Rogowski said. "It was good for me to fight through that and find the momentum, which I was able to do in the second set. I was happy with my performance today."
 
UNCG started the day strong before hitting some adversity. The Spartans' No. 2 doubles tandem of Grewe and Hampus Johansson needed 23 minutes to win 6-0. However, Samford recovered to win the next two doubles points and take an early 1-0 lead.
 
"We met with them after our match against Tennessee Tech and we really talked about everybody pulling their weight, coming together and playing consistently as a group," UNCG head men's tennis coach Jeff Trivette said. "They responded really well today. They came out with a lot of energy and focus. We were controlling every court even though we lost the doubles point. I wasn't worried because I saw in them what we were looking from them all year. I am hoping this is a start for us. It's great to start spring break with a win and we hopefully can carry the momentum forward."
 
UNCG hits the road to meet The Citadel on Thursday, March 10 at 1 p.m.
 
Results
Singles
Nico Grewe (UNCG) d. Jim Hendrickx, 6-1, 7-5
Ali Bellalouna (SAM) d. Alex Zuckerman, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 10-2
Hugh Knapp (UNCG) d. Eladio Fabregas, 6-1, retired
Roger Rogowski (UNCG) d. Yerrassyl Murat, 7-6 (5), 6-2
David Flisberg (UNCG) d. J.B. Pickard, 6-1, 6-4
Christopher Johns (UNCG) d. Will Gray, 6-4, 6-1
 
Doubles
Hendrix and Fabregas (SAM) d. Zuckerman and Rogowski, 6-4
Grewe and Hampus Johansson (UNCG) d. Bellalouna and Gray, 6-0
Murat and Williams (SAM) d. Wyett and Flisberg, 7-5