COLUMBUS, Ga. – The No. 14 University of North Georgia (UNG) men's tennis team battled through several tightly contested matches but ultimately fell 7-0 to top-ranked West Florida in nonconference men's tennis action Monday afternoon.

The Nighthawks (10-6, 2-1 PBC) were tested early in doubles play, where West Flordia (18-1, 6-0 GSC) claimed the opening point with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, but not without resistance. At No. 3, Franco Rebora and Marcos Castellanos were locked in a back-and-forth battle with Vicente Couto and Mateo Martinez before the match went unfinished at 5-5. The

In singles play, North Georgia pushed the nation's top team in multiple spots, highlighted by a trio of hard-fought matches. At No. 2 singles, Castellanos rebounded after dropping the first set to No. 2 Diego Duran, taking the second set 6-3 before ultimately falling 4-6 in the decisive third set.

Ben Brandl delivered another closely contested match at No. 3 singles, opening with a 6-4 first-set win over No. 67 Mateo Martinez. The match featured extended rallies and tight games throughout, but Martinez edged out the final two sets in tiebreak fashion to secure the victory.

Rebora also turned in a gritty performance at No. 5 singles, pushing No. 42 Rafael Sabio to the brink. After dropping a tight first set 7-5, Rebora forced a second-set tiebreak before Sabio pulled away late to clinch the match.

João Luis Silva, Juan Cruz Blanco and Janos Varga fell in straight sets at the No. 1, 4 and 6 position.

Despite the final scoreline, the Nighthawks showed resilience against one of Division II's top programs, competing closely in several key positions throughout the lineup.

North Georgia returns to action Sunday, April 12, hosting Georgia College at the UNG Tennis Complex at Yahoola Creek in its final home match of the season.