WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise men's tennis suffered an 8-1 non-conference setback to Davis & Elkins College Saturday afternoon in its spring home opener at the Jim and Betty Humphreys Tennis Complex. The Cavaliers (3-5) picked up one singles match thanks to a three-set win by junior Christopher Armistead (Virginia Beach, Va.) at the No. 3 spot.
 
In doubles play, the visiting Senators (2-2) took all three matches to go ahead 3-0. Armistead and freshman Josh McFadden (Newport News, Va.) fell in a tightly contested 8-4 match at No. 2 doubles to Samuel Vallieres and Matthew Alexander of Davis & Elkins. At the top doubles spot, the junior duo of Andrii Rutnytskyi (Odessa, Ukraine) and Viktor Tunnikov (Kharkiv, Ukraine) was topped 8-0 by the Senators' Tare Mariga and Ivan Bonderanko. Only having five players eligible for the match, UVa-Wise was forced to default No. 3 doubles to Jack Clifton and Tristram Spitsnaugle of Davis & Elkins.
 
At the top singles spot Rutnytskyi took his opponent to a third set but was defeated 10-2 in the third-set super tiebreak. Rutnytskyi claimed the opening set 6-3 against the Senators' Bonderanko but then was handed a 6-0 second-set loss before losing in the super tiebreaker. Armistead got the lone point for the Cavs as he bested Vallieres of Davis & Elkins at No. 3 singles. After claiming the first set 6-4, Armistead edged Vallieres 7-5 in a second-set tiebreaker to clinch the win.
 
McFadden was able to get four games off of his opponent at fourth singles but was handed a 6-2, 6-2 loss against the Senators' Clifton. At second singles, Mariga of Davis & Elkins took down Tunnikov by a score of 6-0, 6-2. Freshman Daniel Laughlin (Bristol, Va.) was only able to win one game off of the Senators' Alexander at No. 5 singles, falling 6-0, 6-1 as Spitsnaugle of Davis & Elkins picked up the default at No. 6 singles.
 
The Cavs will have just over a week off from competition before returning to the Jim and Betty Humphreys Tennis Complex for their Mountain East Conference opener on Sunday, March 12, against Fairmont State University. First serve is scheduled for 10 a.m.
 
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Full Match Results
Davis & Elkins College 8, UVa-Wise 1
 
Singles
1. Ivan Bonderanko (DE) def. Andrii Rutnytskyi (WISE) 3-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-2)
2. Tare Mariga (DE) def. Viktor Tunnikov (WISE) 6-0, 6-2
3. Christopher Armistead (WISE) def. Samuel Vallieres (DE) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Jack Clifton (DE) def. Josh McFadden (WISE) 6-2, 6-2
5. Matthew Alexander (DE) def. Daniel Laughlin (WISE) 6-0, 6-1
6. Tristram Spitsnaugle (DE) def. No player (WISE), by default
 
Doubles
1. Tare Mariga/Ivan Bonderanko (DE) def. Andrii Rutnytskyi/Viktor Tunnikov (WISE) 8-0
2. Samuel Vallieres/Matthew Alexander (DE) def. Christopher Armistead/Josh McFadden (WISE) 8-4
3. Jack Clifton/Tristram Spitsnaugle (DE) def. No player/No player (WISE), by default