NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Newberry College men's tennis team wrapped up the 2009 regular season on a good note Sunday afternoon by defeating the Catawba Indians, 5-4.

Jeremy Smith (Durban, South Africa) and Felipe Sobrinho (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) started the match off with a top flight doubles victory over Uri Yarkoni and Shahin Soltan (8-2). Newberry's top doubles team was the most dominant team in the South Atlantic Conference this season, with a perfect 8-0 conference record.

Lucas Mattos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Maxim Sukharev (Vilnius Lithuania) earned Newberry's second team point with a win over Matt King and Tom McCormack (8-2). Newberry's only doubles loss came from Mark Boswell (Piedmont, S.C.) and Pavle Popovic (Belgrade, Serbia) who fell to Corey Eldridge and Thomas Mitchell (8-5).

Smith and Mattos carried their momentum into their singles matches, picking up two more wins for the scarlet and gray. Smith defeated Mitchell (6-2, 6-2) while Mattos took down King (6-3, 6-4). Sobrinho sealed up the Newberry victory with a solid win over Cyle Peterson (6-3, 6-2). It was Sobrinho's sixth straight singles victory.

In other singles action, Sukharev lost to Soltan (6-3, 6-4); Boswell fell to McCormack (6-1, 6-2); and Popovic lost to Yarkoni (6-4, 6-3).

The Newberry College men's tennis team finishes the season 7-7 overall and 6-2 in the South Atlantic Conference, sealing the second seed in the SAC Tournament. The tournament begins tomorrow at 2 pm when the scarlet and gray take on the seventh seeded Lincoln Memorial at home. Catawba (10-10, 2-6 in the SAC) captures the eighth seed in the tournament and will face off against top seeded Wingate tomorrow on the road.