VIRGINIA BEACH-- Straight set victories in three singles matches helped nail down a 5-1 victory for Virginia Wesleyan College's men's tennis team over Roanoke College in Old Dominion Athletic Conference quarterfinal tournament action on Saturday.

The No. 2 seeded Marlins, who improved to 14-4, advance to the semifinals scheduled for Saturday, April 26, at Sweet Briar College.  Virginia Wesleyan will take on the Quakers of Guilford College at 4:30 p.m. The Quakers advanced with a 5-4 upset of No. 3 seed Randolph-Macon College.

Saturday's matches were played at the Virginia Beach Tennis & County Club where sophomore Spencer Bullock (Lorton/South County) posted a 6-4, 6-2 win over Jacob Morris (Jamestown, R.I./North Kingstown) at the No. 3 flight to clinch the victory for the Marlins, who advance to the semis for the second straight year. 

Sophomore Graham Wilson (Newport News/Menchville) opened with an impressive 6-0 win over Joseph Ross at No. 1 and held off his Roanoke opponent for a 6-4 win in the second set. It was the fourth win in a row for Wilson who improved to 14-4. Rooke Kenny Downing (Washington, D.C./Homeschooled) improved to 14-3 with a 6-2, 6-3, win over Matt Kessler (Mount Airy, N.C./Mount Airy) at No. 2. Matches at the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions were unfinished.

Roanoke (8-7) notched its only win at No. 2 doubles where Chris Miglarese (Roanoke/Hidden Valley) and Morris pulled out a hard-fought 8-6 decision over sophomore Tyler Chang (Hvre de Grace, Md./Tome School) and Bullock.

Virginia Wesleyan won at No. 1 and No. 3 however, highlighted by an 8-0 final recorded by sophomore Drew Tomajczyk (Chesterfield/Homeschooled) and rookie Brendan Kelleher (Baltimore, Md./Towson) over Lewis Young and Chris Teeple.  While Tomajczyk and Kelleher won for the fourth straight time to improve to 5-1 at No. 3, Wilson and Downing improved to 13-4 at No. 1 with an 8-2 victor over Ross and Kessler.

VWC's 14 win total is the highest for the program since 17 in 2006.

--AMDG--