LYNCHBURG, VA — The men's tennis team couldn't squeak by against the Randolph College Wildcats in their spring season opener on Saturday, falling to a close 5-4 score. 

In the doubles matchups, Coleton Burke and Luke Jarnagin sat in the No. 1 spot against Randolph's Alex Kulvivat and Nicolas Alvarado. The Wildcats were able to come out victorious, winning 8-4.

In the next match, Dominic Hoffman and John Robert Kilgore went up against Wildcats Bhuvan Ambekallu and Colby Cook, and fell in another match by a score of 8-3.

In No. 3 doubles, Chiwoo Chang and Siddarth Selvukamar snagged a win by default against the Wildcats due to a no player. Randolph grabbed two of the three, picking up the doubles overall win.

Hoffman was placed in the No. 1 spot to face Alvarado to begin singles play, and although close, couldn't grab the win and fell to the Wildcat opponent 6-4, 6-0.

Following Hoffman was Burke, who struggled against Kulvivat and fell to a 6-1, 6-0 score. 

In the No. 3 spot, Jarnagin put up a good fight, but couldn't take home the W against Ambekallu, falling 6-4 in the first set and 6-0 in the second. 

Kilgore came up in No. 4 singles, and took the first set against Cook by a 6-3 score. Cook responded with a 6-1 win in the second set, forcing to a tiebreaker. Cook was the victor in the forced third set, winning 10-6. 

Selvakumar of the Cavaliers got his first taste of singles action against Wildcat Jose Merhej, and took a win in his first Cavalier matchup by scores of 6-2 and 6-1.

Chiwoo Chang grabbed another win in No. 6 singles by default due to a Randolph no player.

In the end, the Wildcats took home a 5-4 win over the Cavs.

Up next, the Cavaliers play West Virginia Wesleyan at a neutral site in Harrogate, Tenn. on Saturday, February 19 at 9 AM.