RALEIGH, N.C. – The men's tennis team split its singles matches on Sunday against North Carolina State, but dropped a 4-3 decision by virtue of the doubles point at Isenhour Tennis Center.
 
The No. 2 doubles team of freshmen Sam Fleck and Jason Luu got the Big Red started on the right foot with an 8-3 victory over Dominic Hodgson and Matt Thomson, but the Wolfpack answered with wins at the Nos. 1 and 3 spots to secure the all-important doubles point.
 
Fleck also won his singles match at the No. 2 spot over Hodgson, 6-0, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, to get 45th-ranked Cornell (2-3) on the board after 57th-ranked N.C. State (6-1) secured the first two singles points. But when N.C. State's Austin Powell, who is ranked 100th nationally, responded with a win at No. 4, it clinched the win for the Wolfpack.
 
Sidney then topped Rafael Perez, 6-3, 6-4, at the No. 5 spot, and Luu closed out the match with a 7-6(4), 6-3 triumph over Ivan Sanchez Gomez at No. 6.
 
Cornell returns home, where it's won its only two matches so far this season, for a doubleheader against St. John's and Fordham on Sunday, Feb. 12 at Reis Tennis Center in Ithaca, N.Y.
 
#57 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 4, #45 CORNELL 3
Sunday, Feb. 5
At Isenhour Tennis Center; Raleigh, N.C.
Singles
1. Jaime Pulgar (N) def. No. 98 Venkat Iyer, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.
2. Sam Fleck (C) def. Dominic Hodgson, 6-0, 3-6, 6-2.
3. Robbie Mudge (N) def. Quoc-Daniel Nguyen, 6-3, 6-2.
4. No. 100 Austin Powell (N) def Danny Riggs, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
5. Alex Sidney (C) def. Rafael Paez, 6-3, 6-4.
6. Jason Luu (C) def. Ivan Sanchez Gomez, 7-6(4), 6-3.
Doubles
1. Julian Sullivan/Sean Weber (N) def. No. 35 Iyer/Sidney, 8-4.
2. Fleck/Luu def. Hodgson/Matt Thomson, 8-3.
3. Mudge/Pulgar (N) def. Evan McElwain/Nguyen, 8-3.
Order of finish
Doubles (2,1,3), Singles (3,1,2,4,5,6)
Records
N.C. State 6-1, Cornell 2-3