WISE, Va. – The UVa-Wise men's tennis team dropped a 8-1 decision to Belmont Abbey College Saturday afternoon at the Jim and Betty Humphreys Tennis Complex. The Cavaliers (2-3) entered the match already trailing 3-0 due to having only four available players to compete and having to default No. 3 doubles and No. 5 and No. 6 singles. The Crusaders (4-0) claimed both doubles matches played and three out of the four singles matches to earn the team victory.
 
Belmont Abbey won No. 1 doubles and No. 2 doubles by identical scores of 8-2 as Grant Goldin and Jacob Andress defeated juniors Andrii Rutnytskyi (Odessa, Ukraine) and Viktor Tunnikov (Kharkiv, Ukraine) at the top spot, and Tomas Pardo and Michael Rapsik took down juniors Christopher Armistead (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Noah Aldridge (Pennington Gap, Va.) at the second position.
 
Rutnytskyi was the lone Cav to win in singles, earning a very close, three-set victory at the top singles position over the Crusaders' Eduardo Escobar. After winning the opening set 6-1, Rutnytskyi fell 10-8 in a second-set tiebreak before taking the third-set 10-point tiebreaker by a score of 10-8.
 
At No. 2 singles, Belmont Abbey's Nikhil Reddy handed Tunnikov a 6-2, 6-4 loss, while the Crusaders' Blaise Waters bested Armistead 6-3, 6-0 at third singles. In the final match of the day at the fourth singles spot, Chip Moore of Belmont Abbey topped Aldridge 6-2, 6-1.
 
Today's match wrapped up the fall non-conference portion of the men's tennis schedule. The Cavs will begin their spring championship season Saturday, Feb. 18 with a home match against Salem International University.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier men's tennis news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
 
Full Match Results
Belmont Abbey College 8, UVa-Wise 1
 
Singles
1. Andrii Rutnytskyi (WISE) def. Eduardo Escobar (BELAC) 6-1, 6-7 (8-10), 1-0 (10-8)
2. Nikhil Reddy (BELAC) def. Viktor Tunnikov (WISE) 6-2, 6-4
3. Blaise Waters (BELAC) def. Christopher Armistead (WISE) 6-3, 6-0
4. Chip Moore (BELAC) def. Noah Aldridge (WISE) 6-2, 6-1
5. Thomas Rowzie (BELAC) def. No player (WISE), by default
6. Michael Rapsik (BELAC) def. No player (WISE), by default
 
Doubles
1. Grant Goldin/Jacob Andress (BELAC) def. Andrii Rutnytskyi/Viktor Tunnikov (WISE) 8-2
2. Tomas Pardo/Michael Rapsik (BELAC) def. Christopher Armistead/Noah Aldridge (WISE) 8-2
3. Chip Moore/Thomas Rowzie (BELAC) def. No player/No player (WISE), by default