Box score


ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – No. 2 seed Methodist University defeated the Averett University men's tennis team 8-1 in the semifinals of the USA South Conference Tournament on Saturday afternoon at N.C. Wesleyan College.
 
Sophomore Carlos Lora snagged a win for the Averett (14-4) in singles action with 6-1, 6-1 performance over Jake Groce at the No. 5 spot. After falling behind 6-3 in the first set, sophomore James Wright worked his way back from behind in the No. 3 slot with a 6-2 win in the second set, but eventually Teal Howard pulled out the victory with a 10-7 win in the third game.
 
Despite the loss, Averett has shown significant improvement in the 2016 season. This was the first time since 2013 that the Cougars qualified for the conference tournament, and with 14 wins under the leadership of head coach Bert Poole, Averett has had its most successful season in at least seven years.