For immediate release – 4/25/2016 - #500
Hornet Men's Tennis Earns Playoff Berth with dramatic win over H-SC

LYNCHBURG, VA – Senior Josh Johnson won the final home match of his Lynchburg College career Monday to lift the Hornet men's tennis team to a 5-4 win over visiting Hampden-Sydney College and give LC the eighth and final spot in the upcoming Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament. Just one year after a winless season, LC enters it first conference tournament since 2010-11.

With the match tied 4-4, Johnson fell behind 0-3 in the third and deciding set at #1 singles, but captured six-straight games to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.  

"That was just a storybook moment," said LC head coach Josef Manilla. "Josh won his #1 doubles match in a tiebreaker and then won the deciding match at #1 singles in a third set. That is what we play for and a moment we'll never forget."

The LC #1 doubles team of Johnson and Dom Gutierrez won 9-8 (7-3), while the #2 team of Andrew Link and Bryce Barber and #3 duo of Jordan Falinski and Nick Savino fell 8-6 to open the match.

The first two singles matches to finish were won by H-SC, putting the Tigers ahead 4-1 and forcing the Hornets to take the final four contests. Savino scored a straight-set win at #6, Gutierrez had a hard-fought win at #4, 6-3, 7-5 and then Link knotted the score with a 6-3, 7-5 win at #3 singles, setting up Johnson for his dramatic victory.

"It was very emotional," said Johnson. "Having my team support me and cheer me on was like nothing else. It's not over until its' over and we showed up today really wanting this match."

The Hornets (5-13/3-7 ODAC) will travel to top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan College for first-round playoff action on Sunday.

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