NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Castleton men's tennis team dropped its first match of the season on Wednesday afternoon, falling to in-state rival Norwich, 6-3, in a non-conference matchup at Norwich's Shapiro Field House.

The Spartans sit at 4-1 on the season with the loss, while Norwich improves to 2-2 on the year.

The Cadets jumped out to a quick lead, taking two of the three doubles matches to go up 2-1 over the Spartans. Seth Marcil and Quentin Barthe were victorious for the second time this season in doubles play against Ian Hyte and Dylan Ackerman, winning 9-8 (7-5). It was the second time in as many matches that the two doubles teams went to a tiebreak, with the Spartans also coming out on top in the first meeting.

Ryan Mulder and Trevor Hanna suffered their first losses of the season at No. 2 doubles, 8-5, while Brody Wagner and Jared Wheeler fell in a tiebreak of their own, 9-8 (7-5).

Singles action was just as tight of a battle between the two teams, with four matches going to three sets. The Spartans got their only two singles wins of the day at the fifth and sixth flights, as Wheeler came out on top of Sam Beiter 6-1, 1-6, 10-4, and Wagner was victorious 6-1, 1-6, 10-5.

Marcil fell to Hyte in top-flight singles action, winning the first set 6-2 but dropping the next two sets, 6-3, 6-0. Barthe fell in three sets at the No. 2 singles position, as Ackerman was victorious 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Mulder then fell in straight sets at the No. 3 spot, 6-4, 6-4, while Hanna was defeated 7-5, 6-3 in fourth-flight play.

Castleton returns to action next Thursday, March 30, at 4 p.m. in a home contest against Sage.