MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. – The UVa-Wise men's tennis team earned a 5-4 non-conference road win at Milligan College Sunday afternoon in its spring dual match opener. The Cavaliers (3-3) took a pair of 8-5 doubles matches at the top two spots before claiming three singles wins to earn the team win over the homestanding Buffaloes (1-4). Freshman Josh McFadden (Newport News, Va.) clinched the dual match victory for UVa-Wise with a No. 4 singles win.
 
In doubles play, the duo of juniors Andrii Rutnytskyi (Odessa, Ukraine) and Viktor Tunnikov (Kharkiv, Ukraine) picked up a 8-5 win at the top doubles spot over Milligan's Joshua Crain and Joseph Lyttle. Junior Christopher Armistead (Virginia Beach, Va.) and McFadden quickly followed with a 8-5 win of their own at No. 2 doubles, defeating the Buffaloes' Daniel Peacock and Griffin Leonard. With the Cavs only having five players to compete at the match, Conly Shults and Will Blakmarr of Milligan got a default at third doubles.
 
Rutnytskyi wasted no time in giving UVa-Wise a singles win as he topped the Buffaloes' Crain by a score of 6-0, 6-4 at the top position. With the Cavs having to take a default at No. 6 singles, the match became tied at 3-3 when Shults of Milligan earned a 6-1, 6-1 against freshman Daniel Laughlin (Bristol, Va.).
 
Armistead scored a straight-set, 6-4, 6-4 victory at No. 3 singles over the Buffaloes' Leonard before Tunnikov lost a three-set match at second singles to Milligan's Lyttle. Tunnikov won the opening set in a tiebreaker (7-4) but was unable to take the second as Lyttle evened things up with a 6-3 set win. The third set was decided in a 10-point tiebreak and Lyttle claimed it 10-5 to win the match.
 
With the team score tied at 4-4, McFadden came through in a big way at No. 4 singles to help the Cavs pick up the road. After a 6-4 first set win, McFadden held on in a second set tiebreaker (7-5) to defeat Peacock of Milligan.
 
The Cavs are back in action next Sunday when UVa-Wise travels to nearby Harrogate, Tennessee, to take on Lincoln Memorial University. The women's tennis team will join the men for their spring season opener. First serve for both dual matches is scheduled for 10 a.m.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier men's tennis news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
 
Full Match Results
UVa-Wise 5, Milligan College 4
 
Singles
1. Andrii Rutnytskyi (WISE) def. Joshua Crain (MILLIGAN) 6-0, 6-4
2. Joseph Lyttle (MILLIGAN) def. Viktor Tunnikov (WISE) 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 1-0 (10-5)
3. Christopher Armistead (WISE) def. Griffin Leonard (MILLIGAN) 6-4, 6-4
4. Josh McFadden (WISE) def. Daniel Peacock (MILLIGAN) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Conly Shults (MILLIGAN) def. Daniel Laughlin (WISE) 6-1, 6-1
6. Will Blakmarr (MILLIGAN) def. No player (WISE), by default
 
Doubles
1. Andrii Rutnytskyi/Viktor Tunnikov (WISE) def. Joshua Crain/Joseph Lyttle (MILLIGAN) 8-5
2. Christopher Armistead/Josh McFadden (WISE) def. Daniel Peacock/Griffin Leonard (MILLIGAN) 8-5
3. Conly Shults/Will Blakmarr (MILLIGAN) def. No player/No player (WISE), by default