BELMONT, NC -- Hampden-Sydney College opened its 2025-26 campaign at the Belmont Abbey Invite on Friday, August 29, and Saturday, August 30. The Tigers faced off against three of the 11 teams in attendance over the two days, with matches against Division II and hosts Belmont Abbey (NC) College, Division III North Carolina Wesleyan University, and junior college University of South Carolina at Sumter.

The Tigers got the weekend started with a Friday match against Belmont Abbey that saw junior Thomas Davis (Charlotte, NC) and senior Casey Coffey (Midlothian) opened up doubles play with a 6-3 win. Doubles action closed with sophomores Landon Bivens (Lynchburg) and Jonathan Fogle (Midlothian) falling 6-3. Singles action saw freshmen Slade Funderburk (Camden, SC), Ben Price (Charlotte, NC), and Sam Robinson (Charlotte, NC), play their first career matches. Funderburk was defeated in his match 6-1, 6-2, Robinson grabbed his first career singles win with a 7-5, 5-7, 10-2 result, and Price also grabbed his first career singles win with a 6-0, 6-2 result.

Friday closed against USC Sumter, with doubles kicking off with Funderburk and senior Dillon McReynolds (Abingdon) falling 6-4. Fogle and Price were the other duo competing in doubles taking a 6-3. Davis started singles action with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-10loss, while McReynolds grabbed a singles win with a 6-2, 6-4 result. Singles action closed on Friday with Coffey taking a 4-6, 6-2, 5-10 loss.

Saturday kicked off bright and early for H-SC, taking on North Carolina Wesleyan. Doubles saw Davis and McReynolds fall 6-0, and Robinson and Bivens fell 6-2. In singles action, Fogle dropped a 6-3, 6-0 match, Bivens fell 7-5, 6-0, and Funderburk fell 6-2, 6-4.

The Tigers closed out the Belmont Abbey Invite by matching up with the Crusaders for the second time. Doubles opened with a loss for the pair of Coffey and Funderburk, 7-6, but the pair of Price and Robinson got their first career doubles wins, 6-2. Singles action saw nothing but victories for the Tigers, starting with a 6-2, 6-2 result from Davis. McReynolds followed it up with a 6-0, 6-1 win, with Coffey following Davis' lead with a 6-2, 6-2 result. Price grabbed a 6-3, 6-2 win, and Robinson closed out action with a 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 win.

The Tigers will be back in action for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) South/Southeast Regional on October 3-5 at the University of Mary Washington.