ATHENS, Ga. – A special era of Virginia Tech men's tennis history ended this afternoon as the No. 29 Hokies fell to No. 25 Texas Tech in the first round of the NCAA Championships on Saturday.
The match marks the end of the career for four Hokies: Chase Bernstine, Mitch Harper, Ryan Kros, and Alex Ribeiro. All the graduating players were honored in before Tech's match against Duke in March.
Our Guys ✊#Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/PCbzPgLYdO
— Virginia Tech Men's Tennis (@HokiesMTennis) March 28, 2021
Virginia Tech (12-10, 6-6 ACC) started the match strong with two doubles wins that gave the Hokies a 1-0 lead. The No. 25 duo of Ryan Fishback and Jordan Chrysostom earned a swift 6-3 win on Court 1, while Harper and Ribeiro teamed up for a 6-4 victory on Court 2.
The Red Raiders (13-7, 1-4 Big 12) ramped up their performance in singles, compiling wins in straight sets on Court 3, Court 4, and Court 5.
Mitch Harper provided a spark for the Hokies on Court 1, winning in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6.
Texas Tech proved too tough to handle, however. Ribeiro dropped his match on Court 2 in three set, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, clinching the match for the Red Raiders.Gallery: (5-8-2021) 2021 MEN'S TENNIS NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP vs. TEXAS TECH