HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC – In a match that featured two top-20 regionally ranked teams, Methodist University posted a 7-2 victory over Wilkes University on the Colonels opening match of the 2017 spring break trip in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
 
Wilkes suffers its first defeat of the season falling to 4-1 while Methodist continues to remain unbeaten at 5-0. Wilkes entered the match ranked 17^th regionally while Methodist is ranked 14^th as a member of the USA South Conference.
 
Wilkes began the match with two wins in three doubles flights including a victory at No. 1 pairs from Courtney Murphy (Bronx, NY/Christopher Columbus) and Jonathan White (Saylorsburg, PA/Pleasant Valley) 8-6. Artyom Nabokin (Las Vegas, NV/Danvers) and Troy Haas (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) teamed at No. 3 doubles to win 8-5.
 
Methodist swept all six singles flights with five coming in straight sets to come back and secure the neutral site victory.
 
Wilkes continues its spring break schedule Tuesday with matches against North Carolina Wesleyan at 8:00 a.m. and Albion College at 3:30 p.m.
 
Methodist 7, Wilkes University 2
 
Singles competition:
1. R.J. Clement (MUM) def. #12 C. Murphy (WUMT) 7-5, 6-0
2. Jacob Oehser (MUM) def. A. Nabokin (WUMT) 6-1, 6-1
3. Wynn Johnson (MUM) def. A. Lefkandinos (WUMT) 6-3, 7-6
4. Reid Rose (MUM) def. J. White (WUMT) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
5. John Dangerfield (MUM) def. T. Haas (WUMT) 6-3, 6-3
6. Jacob Groce (MUM) def. B. Chow (WUMT) 6-2, 6-1
 
Doubles competition:
1. C. Murphy/J. White (WUMT) def. R.J. Clement/Jacob Oehser (MUM) 8-6
2. John Dangerfield/Wynn Johnson (MUM) def. A. Lefkandinos/A. Neidig (WUMT) 8-4
3. A. Nabokin/T. Haas (WUMT) def. Jacob Groce/Brock Ebersole (MUM) 8-5