Privateers Men's Tennis Falls to North Dakota

Team looks to bounce back against Omaha on Saturday

Mar. 13, 2026 at 12:35am

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The New Orleans Privateers men's tennis team suffered a 4-1 loss to North Dakota on Thursday at the Privateer Tennis Center. Despite a strong singles performance from Carlos Melgosa, the Privateers were unable to overcome North Dakota in the closely contested match. The team will now turn its attention to a Saturday matchup against Omaha as they seek to rebound from the defeat.

Why it matters

The loss to North Dakota is a setback for the Privateers, who were looking to build momentum in their season. However, the team has an opportunity to get back on track against Omaha, a key conference opponent. The outcome of the Omaha match could have significant implications for the Privateers' postseason aspirations.

The details

In doubles play, North Dakota secured the point with wins at flights two and three, despite a 6-3 victory from Carlos Melgosa and Beltran Fernandez at flight one. Melgosa then delivered a strong performance in singles, winning his match 6-3, 6-2. However, North Dakota responded by winning the next three singles matches to clinch the overall victory. Kotaro Matsumura fought hard at flight four, winning a crucial deuce point to avoid a tiebreak in the first set and ultimately winning 7-5, 6-2. Darrsh Suresh Kumar of North Dakota secured a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 win, and Walker Valentine clinched the final point with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Peter Kieslinger after a challenging tiebreak.

  • The match against North Dakota took place on Thursday, March 13, 2026.
  • The Privateers' next match is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 11:00 AM against Omaha.

The players

Carlos Melgosa

A Privateers tennis player who delivered a strong singles performance, winning his match 6-3, 6-2.

Beltran Fernandez

A Privateers tennis player who, along with Carlos Melgosa, won their doubles match 6-3 at flight one.

Kotaro Matsumura

A Privateers tennis player who fought hard at flight four, winning a crucial deuce point to avoid a tiebreak in the first set and ultimately winning 7-5, 6-2.

Darrsh Suresh Kumar

A North Dakota tennis player who secured a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over a Privateers player.

Walker Valentine

A North Dakota tennis player who clinched the final point with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Peter Kieslinger after a challenging tiebreak.

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What’s next

The Privateers will now turn their attention to Omaha, seeking to bounce back from the loss to North Dakota. The match is scheduled for 11:00 AM on Saturday.

The takeaway

The Privateers' loss to North Dakota is a setback, but the team has an opportunity to rebound against Omaha, a key conference opponent. The outcome of the Omaha match could have significant implications for the Privateers' postseason aspirations, making it a crucial match for the team to focus on.