CINCINNATI – The Northern Kentucky University men's tennis team dropped a close battle at Xavier on Friday night, 4-2, at Eastern Hills Indoor Tennis Club.

The Musketeers came away with the doubles point after narrowly defeating the No. 1 team of Mate Virag and Lukas Clemens, 7-5 and the No. 2 duo of Jody Maginley and Blaine Carr, 6-4.

At No. 3 doubles, Adrian Isache and Court Clark were knotted at 6-6 with Xavier's Brian Carman and Jack Dykema when the Musketeers claimed the doubles point.

Following a Xavier victory at No. 4 singles, NKU's Virag earned a No. 1 singles win over Zach Mueck, 6-2, 6-3 for a team score of 2-1, Xavier.

Maginley, the reigning Horizon League Player of the Week, came through with a victory at the No. 3 singles spot, 6-2, 6-4, to even the match score at 2-2.

However, Maginley's victory would be the last for NKU as Xavier closed out a pair of three-set wins at No. 2 singles and out-lasted NKU's Carr at No. 5 singles in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 result to clinch the match.

The Norse return to action on March 13 for a 6 p.m. match at Louisville.

Xavier 4, Northern Kentucky 2
Singles results
1. VIRAG, Mate (NKU) def. MUECK, Zach (XU) 6-2, 6-3
2. SCHNEIDER, Jeremy (XU) def. CLEMENS, Lukas (NKU) 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4
3. MAGINLEY, Jody (NKU) def. BISHOP, Matt (XU) 6-2, 6-4
4. STEFANI, Arthur (XU) def. CLARK, Court (NKU) 6-1, 6-2
5. DYKEMA, Jack (XU) def. CARR, Blaine (NKU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
6. SMITH, Trent (XU) vs. ISACHE, Adrian (NKU) 0-6, 6-4, 2-0, unfinished
Doubles results
1. MUECK, Zach/BISHOP, Matt (XU) def. VIRAG, Mate/CLEMENS, Lukas (NKU) 7-5
2. SCHNEIDER, Jeremy/STEFANI, Arthur (XU) def. MAGINLEY, Jody/CARR, Blaine (NKU) 6-4
3. CARMAN, Brian/DYKEMA, Jack (XU) vs. ISACHE, Adrian/CLARK, Court (NKU) 6-6 (2-1), unfinished