FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Longwood men's tennis team used sweeps at the No. 1 and No. 2 slots, and two three-set wins in singles to open the season with a 5-2 win over perennial Division III power Mary Washington on the road Saturday afternoon.

Longwood (1-0) took each of the top-four singles matches, two of them coming as sweeps, and won two of the three doubles matches to take the doubles point. Saturday's 5-2 win was just the latest example of the continued improvement for the Lancer squad as the previous two seasons the Eagles took 6-1 decision in 2014-15 and a 5-2 win last season.

"We competed hard and found a way to close out some three-set matches," said second-year head coach Pierre Tafelski.

Senior Florian Uffer slid into the No. 1 slot, earning the 7-5, 6-3 sweep over Mary Washington's Brandon Griffin, who was also the ITA No. 47 ranked player at the Division III level. Uffer, the lone captain on the squad, led by example after serving as the primary No. 2 last season for the blue and white, earning the sweep to start off the spring 1-0.

Freshman Amadeo Hervas converted another sweep for the Lancers at the No. 2 spot with scores of 6-2, 6-0. The Valencia, Spain, native picked up his first spring win after taking four singles and doubles wins in the fall.

The pair of Uffer and Hervas took the No. 1 doubles bout 9-8 (9-7) over Griffin and fellow ranked player Matt Miles (50), while Julian Farthing and Arthur Bardellotto took the No. 2 doubles match 8-4.

Farthing and Bardellotto also took their singles matches in three sets – Farthing by a score of 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 and Bardellotto by way of 6-7 (7-4), 6-4, 6-1.

"This is a good first match for our young team," Tafelski said. "Some of the guys were nervous and managed it pretty well."

The Lancers stay in Fredericksburg, Va. for a bout against the Delaware Blue Hens on Sunday, Feb. 12.

Longwood 5, #27 Mary Washington 2
Feb. 11, 2017 at Fredericksburg, Va.
Singles competition
1. UFFER, Florian (LWU) def. GRIFFIN, Brandon (UMW) 7-5, 6-3
2. HERVAS, Amadeo (LWU) def. FLEMING, Michael (UMW) 6-2, 6-0
3. FARTHING, Julian (LWU) def. BYRD, Ryland (UMW) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
4. BARDELLOTO, Arthur (LWU) def. HUGHES, Patrick (UMW) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-1
5. BROWN, Joseph (UMW) def. PETRALIA, Noah (LWU) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
6. HAGINO, Derek (UMW) def. MANSER, Lachlan (LWU) 6-2, 6-4
 
Doubles competition
1. UFFER, Florian/HERVAS, Amadeo (LWU) def. BYRD, Ryland/FLEMING, Michael (UMW) 9-8 (9-7)
2. FARTHING, Julian/BARDELLOTO, Arthur (LWU) def. GRIFFIN, Brandon/HUGHES, Patrick (UMW) 8-4
3. HAGINO, Derek/MILES, Matt (UMW) def. PETRALIA, Noah/GOMIS, Jorge (LWU) 9-7
 
Match Notes
Longwood 1-0
Mary Washington 0-1; National ranking #27; Regional ranking #4
 
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