GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Guilford College men's tennis (5-9, 2-5 ODAC) team returned to conference play on Sunday afternoon but came up short against Virginia Wesleyan University (8-9, 6-3 ODAC) falling 6-1 at the Dorothy Ragsdale McMichael '37 Centennial Class Courts. The match also marked Senior Day for Evan Wong (Greensboro, N.C.), who was honored before his final home regular season appearance.

The Quakers came out strong in doubles, with Andres Mercedes (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) and Brandon Hermes (West Hartford, Conn.) picking up a solid 6-4 win on court one over Sebastien Muller and Hovo Madanyan. However, the Marlins took control on the remaining courts, Henry Austin (Winterville, N.C.) and Wong dropped a 6-3 match at No. 2 doubles, and Rylan Tuten (Asheville, N.C.) and Emmanuel Oye (Clayton, N.C.) fell 6-2 on court three, giving Virginia Wesleyan the early 1-0 lead.

In singles play, Mercedes continued to shine at the top of the lineup, delivering a commanding 6-2, 6-0 victory over Tudor Vlad to even the match. But the Marlins responded with authority. Hermes fought hard on court two, taking Rafael Zarraga to three sets before falling 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Austin lost 6-4, 6-1 to Francis Cabaddu at No. 3, while Tuten was outpaced by Muller 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4. Wong, competing in his final home match as a Quaker, put up a valiant effort on court five but ultimately dropped his match 6-4, 6-3 to Madanyan. On court six, Oye rallied back after a slow start to force a deciding tiebreaker, but came up just short in an 11-9 final against Sai Challagundla.

The Quakers will hit the road for their next matchup, taking on Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va. on Tuesday, April 15. First serve is scheduled for 4 PM.

#GoQuakes