EDMOND, Okla. -- Northeastern State men's tennis opened its 2026 spring season Friday morning against a tough opponent, falling 7-0 to No. 7-ranked Texas-Tyler in a neutral-site contest held in Edmond.

Facing a veteran Patriots lineup that featured two nationally ranked singles players, the RiverHawks showed grit throughout the match but were unable to notch a point in their opener.

In doubles action, the No. 2 duo of Tomas Aramburu and James Edley pushed the Patriots before falling 7-5. NSU's top pairing of Alexander Edley and Mansur Khajimuradov dropped a 6-3 decision, while Ko Osuga and Manuel Brunengo fell 6-2 at No. 3.

In singles, James Edley took on ITA No. 10 Malo Poulesquen at the top spot, falling 6-2, 6-1. Alexander Edley also pushed in his matchup at No. 2, coming up short 6-4, 7-5 against No. 34 Artiom Dorofeev.

"I think everyone is almost a little relieved to get that first match under our belts," said head coach Tim McLane. "Today was a big day for the program after being brought back to NSU, and I thought the guys competed well. Credit to UT Tyler, they are really good top to bottom, and they outplayed us today. We were hanging in the matches, but we have to execute better on the important points. That is what separates the top teams in the country from the teams that are trying to reach that level."

The RiverHawks (0-1) will return to the court on Sunday, Feb. 8, traveling to Drury University for a noon matchup in Springfield, Missouri.