Charlottesville, VA -- Despite falling to No. 2-ranked Virginia, 4-0, in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, the Fairleigh Dickinson men's tennis team can hold its head high after creating history at the Snyder Tennis Center on Friday afternoon.

Two-time Northeast Conference Player of the Year Arvis Berzins became the first player in conference history to win a set in the NCAA Tournament. The sophomore defeated the No. 3-ranked player in the country, Jarmere Jenkins, 6-3, in the first set at No. 1 singles. Berzins was down 1-0 in the second set when the match was stopped after the Cavaliers clinched the victory.

With the win, Virginia improves to 25-0 on the season and will play Minnesota in the second round, who defeated VCU, 4-3, while the Knights conclude the year with a record of 9-8.

The home team took an early 1-0 lead after taking the doubles' point. FDU was competitive throughout but fell short despite facing three duos ranked in the top-100.

The first match to finish was at No. 2, where seniors Mark Hemy and Peter Skvarka fell to the No. 21 tandem in the country, Alex Domijan and Mitchell Frank, 8-3. The Cavaliers clinched the point when Jenkins and Mac Styslinger, who came in ranked No. 4, defeated Berzins and senior Ibrahim Shams, 8-3.

Senior Yuri Gricheno and freshman Julien Philippe were trailing the No. 89 duo, Justin Shane and Julen Uriguen, 7-3, when the point was won.

In singles, FDU went down 2-0 when freshman Markus Sjoberg was defeated by Uriguen, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 6. The deficit reached 3-0 after Shams was swept at No. 2, 6-0, 6-0, by Domijan, who is the No. 2-ranked player in the country. Virginia clinched the match when Styslinger, ranked No. 28 in the nation, defeated Hemy at No. 4, 6-1, 6-1.

Skvarka was competitive at No. 5, dropping the first set, 6-3, to Shane, and was trailing 4-0 in the second set when the match ended. Gricheno, who took on No. 39 Frank, was down 6-0, 4-0 at the conclusion of the match.

The Knights will lose the Big Four, seniors Gricheno, Hemy, Shams and Skvarka, but return four players for the 2013-14 season.

#2 Virginia 4, Fairleigh Dickinson 0
05/10/13 at Charlottesville, Va. (Snyder Tennis Center)

Singles competition

1. #3 Jarmere Jenkins (UVA) vs. BERZINS, Arvis (FDU) 3-6, 1-0, unfinished

2. #2 Alex Domijan (UVA) def. SHAMS, Ibrahim (FDU) 6-0, 6-0

3. #39 Mitchell Frank (UVA) vs. GRICHENO, Yuri (FDU) 6-0, 4-0, unfinished

4. #28 Mac Styslinger (UVA) def. HEMY, Mark (FDU) 6-1, 6-1

5. Justin Shane (UVA) vs. SKVARKA, Peter (FDU) 6-3, 4-0, unfinished

6. Julen Uriguen (UVA) def. SJOBERG, Markus (FDU) 6-0, 6-2

Doubles competition

1. #4 Jarmere Jenkins/Mac Styslinger (UVA) def. BERZINS, Arvis/SHAMS, Ibrahim (FDU) 8-4

2. #21 Alex Domijan/Mitchell Frank (UVA) def. HEMY, Mark/SKVARKA, Peter (FDU) 8-3

3. #89 Justin Shane/Julen Uriguen (UVA) vs. GRICHENO, Yuri/PHILIPPE, Julien (FDU) 7-3, unfinished

Match Notes

Fairleigh Dickinson 9-8

Virginia 25-0; National ranking #2

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,2,4)

NCAA First Round