By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- College of the Desert defeated Willamette University in men's tennis, 8-1, in an exhibition match on Friday, March 16. The match will not count against Willamette's win-loss record because the NCAA does not count results against two-year colleges.

The Roadrunners took a 3-0 lead by winning all three doubles matches. At #1 doubles, the COD team of Kyryll Kryvchun and Dimitrije Vukovic downed Aaron Schechter (Jr., Seatle, WA/James A. Garfield HS) and Colin Fisher (So., Caldwell, ID/Thomas Jefferson Charter School), 8-4. At #2 doubles, Jakob Dvorken and Joshua Bailin moved past Gene Perle-Jones (So., Eugene, OR/North Eugene HS) and Owen Burcham (Fr., Portland, OR/Wilson HS), 8-4.

Marcus Simon and Elvis Leon-Soriano of COD won the closest doubles match, as they outlasted Willamette's David Liang (Fr., Beijing, China/Belleveu Christian School) and Luke Hiserman (Fr., Monterey, CA/Pacific Grove HS), 8-6.

In singles play, the Roadrunners picked up five wins. Four of the wins were in straight sets by Kryvchun at #1 singles, Vukovic at #2 singles, Joau Luiz Zillo Prado at #4 singles, and Bailin at #5 singles. College of the Desert also recorded one singles victory in a super tie-breaker played instead of a third set at #3 singles, as Dvorken rallied past Fisher, 2-6, 6-1, 10-4.

Hiserman earned Willamette's win at #6 singles. He defeated Simon from College of the Desert, 6-2, 6-0.

The Bearcats will take on Sonoma State University (Calif.) on Sunday, March 18 at the Claremont Country Club in Claremont, California. Match time is set for 11 a.m. (PDT).