DeLand, Fla. - A battle to the very last set of the last singles match went against the Stetson men's tennis team (9-3, 1-1 Atlantic Sun) this afternoon in a 4-3 loss to visiting A-Sun rival USC Upstate (5-9, 1-1 A-Sun) at the Mandy Stoll Tennis Center.  Junior Njal Stene (Oslo, Norway) won in singles and doubles for the Hatters.

USC Upstate claimed the doubles point despite the best efforts of Stene and senior Alex Hackett (Surrey, England) who defeated Marco Linconir and Gianluca Paino 8-3 on Court 3.  The Hatters won three of the first four singles matches to finish to go ahead 3-2 in the match, but the Spartans pulled out third-set victories on Courts 4 and 2 to claim their first league win and hand Stetson its first A-Sun defeat.  Stene was able to get a win for himself in a three-set match, however, rallying for a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over Gonzalo Blanco on Court 3.

The Hatters host A-Sun foe Campbell at 10 a.m. Saturday in the opener of another Mandy Stoll Tennis Center doubleheader.  The Campbell-Stetson women's match will follow at approximately 2 p.m.