CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Virginia Tech men's tennis beat the heat and beat the 'Canes with 4-3 result at No. 28 Miami on Friday afternoon.
Scott Sculley was the last man standing and clinched the match with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 win on Court 6.
Far before the match came down to the matchup on Court 6 between Sculley and Franco Aubone, the Hokies fell behind in the doubles point. Without the No. 18 duo of Ryan Fishback and Jordan Chrysostom, Tech was forced to shake up the lineup and succombed to Miami's doubles crew.
The Hurricanes grew their lead to 3-0 with wins on Court 1 and Court 2, but the back half of Virginia Tech's lineup rallied. Tech's run was started when Alvaro Saez-Royuela Ariza secured a win by default on Court 3. Not long after, Alberto Orso racked up a two-set win on Court 5: 6-2, 7-6 (3).
Michael Shepheard tied that match at 3-3 in a three-setter on Court 4. The Aussie dominated early, taking a 6-2 first set before falling 2-6 in the second then securing the win 6-2 in the third.
It all came down to Court 6, with Sculley sliding into the singles lineup for the first time since January. After dropping his first set, Sculley pushed the match to a third with a 6-3 second set. In the third set, the transfer from Wisconsin maintained an early advantage and wrapped up a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 win.
The Hokies return to play on Sunday in Tallahassee, Fla. against Florida State.
