SALISBURY, N.C. - Newberry College will return to South Carolina one step closer to hosting a first round South Atlantic Conference Tournament match after doubling up Catawba College, 6-3, Wednesday afternoon in men's tennis action. For Newberry (7-5, 4-1 SAC), it's the second SAC victory in as many days, on the heels of a 5-0 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne College on Tuesday.

Newberry started the day by sending out their most trusted doubles combo, and the team of Jeremy Smith (Durban, South Africa) and Daryl Van Vuuren (Durban, South Africa) did not disappoint, dispatching of Sean Soltan and Bryce Cockerham, 8-5. Catawba responded with a point of their own, as Dana Pallesen and Tom McCormack beat Maxim Sukharev (Vilnius, Lithuania) and Lucas Mattos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), 8-5, but Coach Juan Pablo Favero's team took the final pairs point when Felipe Sobrinho (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Mikael Jurkovic (Atlanta, Ga.) won, 8-5, over Hector Bousoulas and Clyde Petersen.

Catawba tied the match at 2 after the first singles point, which Soltan scored over Sukharev with a 6-3, 6-1 win. But Newberry would put the match away with strong outings from their middle four individuals.

Van Vuuren opened the march to victory with a 6-2, 6-2 drubbing of Cockerham, and fellow South African Smith followed with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 win over Bousoulas. Mattos clinched the victory by virtue of his 6-2, 6-2 victory over Petersen, and Sobrinho lit the victory cigar with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Pallesen.

Catawba did recover to take the final point, as McCormack edged Jurkovic, 6-3, 6-4, but it was not enough to spoil Newberry's victory celebration.

Now assured of finishing over .500 in SAC play, the Indians will return to the Cannon Tennis Courts Friday for a 2 p.m. match with Carson-Newman. The contest is the final regular season home event of the 2008 season for the Indians.