AMHERST, MA – The Wilkes University men's tennis team tied the school single season wins record notching its 23^rd victory of the year posting a 5-0 sweep of Messiah College in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tennis Championships on Thursday morning. It also marked the second straight season the Colonels have advanced to second round play.
 
Wilkes moved to 23-3 overall on the season following the win over the MAC Commonwealth champions. Messiah closed out its season at 12-6.
 
Wilkes opened the match winning all three doubles flights to take a 3-0 lead. Courtney Murphy (Bronx, NY/Christopher Columbus) and Troy Haas (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) posted an 8-4 win at No. 1 before Adam Lefkandinos (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) and Andrew Neidig (Matamoras, PA/Delaware Valley) won 8-1 at No. 2 pairs. Artyom Nabokin (Las Vegas, NV/Danvers) and Jonathan White (Saylorsburg, PA/Pleasant Valley) closed out Wilkes in doubles competition with an 8-1 victory at No. 3.
 
Haas, the reigning MAC Freedom Tournament MVP, took his singles match 6-3, 6-2 at No. 5 before Murphy, the reigning MAC Freedom Player of the Year, clinched the Colonels victory with a 6-1, 6-1 decision at No. 1.
 
Wilkes will face No. 10 Williams College at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow (Friday) at 10:00 a.m.
 
 
Wilkes University 5, Messiah College 0
 
Singles competition:
1. C. Murphy (WUMT) def. Tim Dunn (MESSM) 6-1, 6-1
2. Connor Graybeal (MESSM) vs. A. Nabokin (WUMT) 3-6, 0-5, unfinished
3. Devin Esch (MESSM) vs. A. Lefkandinos (WUMT) 2-6, 2-3, unfinished
4. Austin Warren (MESSM) vs. J. White (WUMT) 0-6, 2-3, unfinished
5. T. Haas (WUMT) def. Alex Mantsevich (MESSM) 6-3, 6-2
6. Blake Ross (MESSM) vs. B. Chow (WUMT) 0-6, 3-4, unfinished
 
Doubles competition:
1. C. Murphy/T. Haas (WUMT) def. Tim Dunn/Connor Graybeal (MESSM) 8-4
2. A. Lefkandinos/A. Neidig (WUMT) def. Devin Esch/Austin Warren (MESSM) 8-1
3. A. Nabokin/J. White (WUMT) def. Alex Mantsevich/Blake Ross (MESSM) 8-1