BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech men's tennis (5-2) fell to No. 5 Kentucky (8-0), 7-0, at home this Sunday morning.
The Hokies came out with an abundance of energy in front of a packed crowd at Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center. Jordan Chrysostom and Ryan Fishback placed the ball with precision racing ahead 5-1 before the match was called after Kentucky claimed the doubles point.
In singles, the Wildcats fielded two ranked players including No. 14 Joshua Lapadat. Kentucky claimed the match after straight set wins on Court 3, Court 4, Court 2 and Court 1. Michael Shepheard gave everything he had on Court 5 but came up just short in the tiebreak, 3-6, 6-3, 65-77.
-- MATCH TWO --
Virginia Tech (6-2) bounced back with a resounding 7-0 sweep over George Mason (1-1) at Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center in the afternoon session.
Alberto Orso and Ryan Fishback – the No. 23 ranked duo in the country – were back in action for the first time since competing at ITA Nationals. The Hokie duo did not disappoint, commanding a 6-1 victory on Court 1 with the same score registered on Court 2 from Scott Sculley and Frank Thompson to earn the doubles point for Tech.
The Hokies extended their lead behind a Fishback master class on Court 1, 6-1, 6-2, with Jordan Chrysostom mirroring him in a straight set win of his own on Court 6.
Alvaro Saez-Royuela Ariza faced some resistance in the second set falling behind 4-0 before storming back with an impressive flurry of shots to end the match in two sets, 6-1, 6-4. Frank Thompson (4-0) and Ryan Morgan (3-0) dictated the play with respective two-set victories to stay perfect in singles action on the year. Alberto Orso made quick work of his Patriot challenger on Court 4 winning 6-1, 6-3.
Tech's drubbing of the Patriots marked its third sweep of the season, all coming this weekend.
UP NEXT
The Hokies will return to action on Sunday, February 12, hosting Middle Tennessee at 11 a.m.
Pledge Per Match
The Hokie Club and Virginia Tech Tennis are challenging Hokie Nation to make a Pledge Per Match during the 2023 season.
