MARYVILLE, Tenn. – UVa-Wise men's tennis split a pair of 6-3 non-conference matches Sunday in Maryville, Tennessee. The Cavaliers (2-2) were handed a 6-3 loss at Maryville College to begin the day before claiming a 6-3 win over Johnson University (Tenn.) in a neutral-site match.
 
In the second contest of the day against the Royals (1-4), UVa-Wise won every singles and doubles match it had a competitor in. The Cavs were forced to give up No. 5 and No. 6 singles in addition to No. 3 doubles due to having only five players available to play, and junior Andrii Rutnytskyi (Odessa, Ukraine) sitting out singles because of injury sustained during Saturday's match at Tusculum College.
 
The duo of juniors Rutnytskyi and Viktor Tunnikov (Kharkiv, Ukraine) got things started with a commanding 8-0 win at the top doubles spot over Jacob Clark and Jordan VandenHeuvel of Johnson University. It was then freshman Josh McFadden (Newport News, Va.) and junior Noah Aldridge (Pennington Gap, Va.) who battled out a close 9-7 win at No. 2 doubles, defeating the Royals' Matt Nordstrom and Michael Rhodenbaugh.
 
Even with the two doubles victories, the Cavs began singles play down 3-2 because of the match defaults. However, UVa-Wise rebounded nicely as Tunnikov earned a three-set victory at the top singles spot against Johnson University's Clark. Losing the opening set 6-3, Tunnikov captured the second 6-4 before winning the third-set 10-point tiebreaker by a score of 10-5. Junior Christopher Armistead (Virginia Beach, Va.) earned the most dominant win of the match when he downed the Royals' Rhodenbaugh 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles. Needing just one more win, the Cavs clinched the match when McFadden claimed a 6-2, 6-4 victory at second singles over VandenHeuvel of Johnson University. At No. 4 singles, Aldridge bested the Royals' Nordstrom by a score of 6-4, 6-4.
 
Despite winning three out of the six singles matches, UVa-Wise was not able to upend Maryville in the first contest of the day. The Cavs entered the match down 2-0, having to default No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles due to only having five players available to compete.
 
The Scots (1-1) took a 4-0 lead on UVa-Wise after doubles play as Daniel Silva and Marcos Escudero Herrero of Maryville handed Rutnytskyi and Tunnikov a 8-5 loss at the top doubles spot. Maryville's Wes Bloeme and Charles Russell defeated McFadden and Aldridge 8-2 at second doubles.
 
McFadden came away with the most convincing win in the match when he took down the Scots' Russell 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles. The Cavs also claimed singles wins at the fourth and fifth positions with Armistead picking up a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Bloeme of Maryville at No. 4 singles and Aldridge defeating the Scots' Trevor Perry 6-4, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Maryville clinched the match when Silva topped Rutnytskyi 6-0, 6-1 at the top singles spot. Tunnikov was also outdone at second singles, falling 6-2, 6-4 to the Scots' Escudero Herrero.
 
The Cavs wrap up the fall non-conference portion of their schedule next weekend when Belmont Abbey College visits the Jim and Betty Humphreys Tennis Complex Saturday for a 12 p.m. match.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier men's tennis news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
 
Full Match Results
UVa-Wise 6, Johnson University (Tenn.) 3
 
Singles
1. Viktor Tunnikov (WISE) def. Jacob Clark (JC) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-5)
2. Josh McFadden (WISE) def. Jordan VandenHeuvel (JC) 6-2, 6-4
3. Christopher Armistead (WISE) def. Michael Rhodenbaugh (JC) 6-1, 6-1
4. Noah Aldridge (WISE) def. Matt Nordstrom (JC) 6-4, 6-4
5. Sun Lili (JC) def. No player (WISE), by default
6. Braden Harris (JC) def. No player (WISE), by default
 
Doubles
1. Andrii Rutnytskyi/Viktor Tunnikov (WISE) def. Jacob Clark/Jordan VandenHeuvel (JC) 8-0
2. Josh McFadden/Noah Aldridge (WISE) def. Matt Nordstrom/Michael Rhodenbaugh (JC) 9-7
3. Braden Harris/Sun Lili (JC) def. No player/No player (WISE), by default
 
Maryville College 6, UVa-Wise 3
 
Singles
1. Daniel Silva (MRYVC) def. Andrii Rutnytskyi (WISE) 6-0, 6-1
2. Marcos Escudero Herrero (MRYVC) def. Viktor Tunnikov (WISE) 6-2, 6-4
3. Josh McFadden (WISE) def. Charles Russell (MRYVC) 6-0, 6-0
4. Christopher Armistead (WISE) def. Wes Bloeme (MRYVC) 6-2, 6-3
5. Noah Aldridge (WISE) def. Trevor Perry (MRYVC) 6-4, 6-2
6. Cole Stinson (MRYVC) def. No player (WISE), by default
 
Doubles
1. Daniel Silva/M. Escudero Herrero (MRYVC) def. Andrii Rutnytskyi/Viktor Tunnikov (WISE) 8-5
2. Wes Bloeme/Charles Russell (MRYVC) def. Josh McFadden/Noah Aldridge (WISE) 8-3
3. Trevor Perry/Cole Stinson (MRYVC) def. No player/No player (WISE), by default