BLACKSBURG, Va. – Behind strong doubles play, including a national top-25 win from junior Brenden Volk and sophomore Chen Ruo, and a Ruo singles victory, the William & Mary men's tennis team jumped out to a 2-0 lead over ACC foe Virginia Tech on Monday afternoon. Despite four of the five remaining singles matches going three sets, the Hokies (9-5) rallied back to down the Tribe, 5-2, at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center in a back-and-forth tilt.
 
How It Happened
- The Tribe came back to take the doubles point for the second-straight match. After Virginia Tech won at the No. 2 spot, juniors Sebastian Quiros and Finbar Talcott pulled the Tribe even with a 6-4 win over Carlo Donato and Freddy Mesmer. The Tribe tandem won its second match in a row at No. 3.
- Volk and Ruo upset the No. 25-ranked Henrik Korsgaard and Alex Ribeiro at the top spot, 7-5, to clinch the point. It marked the pair's second nationally-ranked win of the year as they evened their mark at 3-3.
- Ruo increased the Tribe advantage to 2-0 with his second win in a row at the No. 6 singles post. The Tribe sophomore topped Evan Fragistas, 7-5, 6-4, for his eighth win of the year.
- The Hokies responded with close victories at the top five spots, including four matches that went three sets, to pull out the victory. Korsgaard edged Quiros by a narrow 6-4, 7-6 (1) scoreline at No. 2 to put the home team on the board.
- On lines three and four, Talcott and freshman Oren Vasser rallied to force third sets before falling. Talcott answered a 6-3 Riberio win in the opening set with a 6-3 win of his own in the second. The Hokies junior pulled out the third set, 6-0, to pull the home team even at two.
- Vasser took the second set from Donato, 6-3, after the VT sophomore won the first 6-2. Donato gave the Hokies a 3-2 lead with a 6-1 win in the decisive third set.
- At the top singles post, Volk jumped out to a set advantage over No. 58-ranked Jason Kros with a 7-6 (3) win in the opening set. The Hokies senior won the second set, 6-1, and road an early break to a 6-4 third-set, match-clinching victory.
- The fourth and final match to go three sets came at the No. 5 spot. Freshman Jack Kelly took a set lead, downing Brandon Perez, 7-5, in the first. The VT rookie edged Kelly in a second-set tiebreaker, 7-6 (1), before rounding out the Hokies win with a 6-2 triumph in the third.
 
Up Next
The Tribe returns to action when it travels to CAA foe Elon on Sunday, March 10, at 2 p.m.
 
Virginia Tech 5, William & Mary 2
Singles
No. 1 - #58 Jason Kros (VT) def. Brenden Volk (W&M) – 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-4
No. 2 – Henrik Korsgaard (VT) def. Sebastian Quiros (W&M) – 6-4, 7-6 (1)
No. 3 – Alex Ribeiro (VT) def. Finbar Talcott (W&M) – 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
No. 4 – Carlo Donato (VT) def. Oren Vasser (W&M) – 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
No. 5 – Brandon Perez (VT) def. Jack Kelly (W&M) – 5-7, 7-6 (1), 6-2
No. 5 – Chen Ruo (W&M) def. Evan Fragistas (VT) – 7-5, 6-4
Finishing Order: 6, 2, 3, 4, 1*, 5
 
Doubles
No. 1 – Ruo/Volk (W&M) def. #25 Korsgaard/Ribeiro (VT) – 7-5
No. 2 – Kros/Perez (VT) def. Bautil/Vasser (W&M) – 6-1
No. 3 – Talcott/Quiros (W&M) def. Donato/Mesmer (VT) – 6-4
Finishing Order: 2, 3, 1*