CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The Navy men's tennis team (32-11) earned an historic doubles point in a 4-1 loss to No. 15 North Carolina (17-8), Friday evening at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Since 1999 when the NCAA Tournament field was expanded to 64 teams and every conference champion earned an automatic berth into the field, the only other time a Patriot League team earned a point of any kind was in that first season when Navy's Mitch Koch won a No. 1 singles match at Mississippi.

Navy very nearly won the doubles point last season when it faced Oklahoma State in the first round.  The Cowboys won at No. 3 doubles, 6-3, Navy's No. 2 team of Jack Dabek (Sr., Dublin, Ohio) and Finn Garner (Jr., Arnold, Md.) won, 7-6 (9-7) and the last match left on the courts saw OSU's No. 1 team edge Derrick Thompson (Sr., Towson, Md.) and Andrew Ton, 7-6 (10-8).  

Today, North Carolina's No. 2 team of Casey Kania and Logan Zapp posted a 6-2 win over Finn Garner and Gavin Segraves (Jr., Charlottesville, Va.) in the first match to finish.

At No. 1 doubles, Navy's Sasha Panyan (So., Lutherville, Md.) and Thompson jumped out to a 4-1 lead over the 16th-ranked team of Brian Cernoch and Mac Kiger.   The Mids soon led by the score of 5-2 and eventually won, 6-3.  

Cernoch and Kiger entered today with a 20-7 record this season and will compete in doubles during the individual portion of the NCAA Tournament.

"Sasha and Derrick have been working on some areas of their doubles game," said Navy head coach Chris Garner, "and it all came together for them today."

In the last match remaining at the No. 3 flight, Dabek and Luke Garner (Fr., Arnold, Md.) were tied with Benjamin Sigouin and Peter Murphy at both 3-3 and 4-4.  The Mids very quickly had triple-break point to go up 5-4, but lost the next three points.  Navy was able to convert the next offering to earn the break and take a 5-4 lead.  Dabek served the next game and he built a 40-30 lead to give him a serve for match point.  After a short rally, a wide return by the Tar Heels gave the Mids the win and the 1-0 lead.

"Jack and Luke were confident, and it showed in their taking the deciding doubles match," said Garner.

Navy also won a doubles match -- but not the point -- in 2008 when Owen Bullard and Nate Nelms won, 8-5, at No. 1 doubles against Florida.

The Tar Heels would answer by winning the first set in all six singles matches and earn straight-set wins at, in order of finish, Nos. 2, 3, 6 and 4 singles, respectively, to rally for the victory.  North Carolina also held a 6-3, 5-2 lead at the No. 5 flight.

"We definitely could have had a better start in singles, but obviously North Carolina is a terrific team," said Garner.  "I thought we made a good push to get back in the second sets, led by Derrick and Jack McBride (Sr., Chapel Hill, N.C.).  We just ran out of time."

In the remaining match, Cernoch, who is ranked 33rd nationally and will play in the singles portion of the NCAA Tournament, won the first set of his No. 1 singles match against Thompson, 6-1.  Thompson responded by winning the second set, 6-4.  Cernoch held a 2-0 lead in the third set when play was halted.

Thompson also was in a third set last season when play was stopped against the Cowboys.  Thompson was tied, 3-6, 6-3, 1-1, in his No. 2 singles match.  The only other Mid to reach a third set in singles in the NCAA Tournament was Ramsey Lemaich, who led, 6-3, 1-6, 1-0, at No. 6 singles against Texas in 2007.

The Mids end the season with a 32-11 record, which is a school record for wins, and in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight time the event has been held.

"Hats off to our seniors," said Garner.  "The team loves them, as do I.  This is the largest senior class we have had in (associate head coach) John Moreland's 21 seasons.  They've persevered through the incredible and awesome challenges the Naval Academy offers.  They've made others around them better.  They care, they have passion and I'm glad they will be serving in the U.S. Navy."

North Carolina def. Navy, 4-1
Doubles -- Navy wins the doubles point (2-1-3)
1. Panyan, Sasha / Thompson, Derrick (NAVY) def. #16 Cernoch, Brian / Kiger, Mac (UNC) 6-3
2. Kania, Casey / Zapp, Logan (UNC) def. Garner, Finn / Segraves, Gavin (NAVY) 6-2
3. Dabek, Jack / Garner, Luke (NAVY) def. Murphy, Peter / Sigouin, Benjamin (UNC) 6-4
Singles (2-3-6-4)
1. #33 Cernoch, Brian (UNC) vs. Thompson, Derrick (NAVY) 6-1, 4-6, 2-0, unfinished
2. Sigouin, Benjamin (UNC) def. Segraves, Gavin (NAVY) 6-3, 6-3
3. Kiger, Mac (UNC) def. Garner, Finn (NAVY) 6-2, 6-4
4. Zapp, Logan (UNC) def. McBride, Jack (NAVY) 6-1, 6-4
5. Watane, Anuj (UNC) vs. Fishkin, Jake (NAVY) 6-3, 5-2, unfinished
6. Murphy, Peter (UNC) def. Panyan, Sasha (NAVY) 6-2, 6-3