The Union Pines boys' tennis team has started the season like a good strong forehand that blasts the corner.

Three matches into the season, the Vikings are 3-0 and, more important, 2-0 in Cape Fear Valley Conference action.

Monday, the Vikings traveled Lee County to take on conference foe Southern Lee and returned home with an 8-1 win. Dillon Rice cracked the school's top-50 career-win list. He picked up two wins, defeated Peter Conaty 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 singles before teaming with Will Fondrie to win at No. 1 doubles 8-6 over Conaty and Patrick Sonnleitner. Rice is now 55-15 for his career

The doubles win also pushed Fondrie's career record at the school to 71-15, which places him 39th on the win list.

Last week, the Vikings opened their season with a convincing 9-0 win at Jordan-Matthews on Monday, then opened conference play on Wednesday with a 9-0 win at Overhills.

In Monday's win, three Union Pines freshmen gained their first wins in Viking uniforms. Jon Fondrie, Jay Stalls and Ty White all were part of winning doubles teams in the match with Jordan-Matthews.

Union Pines was scheduled to exchange tennis strokes with Harnett Central Tuesday in its first home match.

Union Pines 8, Southern Lee 1

Singles -- Dillon Rice (UP) defeated Peter Conaty 6-4, 6-2; Patrick Sonnleitner (SL) def. Will Fondrie 6-1, 6-1; Jake Waits (UP) def. Alonso Velarde 6-4, 6-2; Gary Garner (UP) def. Kevin Patel 6-3, 6-0; Josh Bryant (UP) def. Jiri Broulik 6-4, 6-2; Jay O'Conner (UP) def. Diego Pena 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles -- Rice-W. Fondrie (UP) def. Conaty-Sonnleitner 8-6; Waits-O'Conner (UP) def. Velarde-Patel 8-2; Garner-Bryant (UP) def. Broulik-Pena 8-2.

Exhibitions -- Nolan Evans-Jay Stalls (UP) def. Daniel Macias-Alex Ayala 8-0; Jon Fondrie-Ty White (UP) def. Jarid Adkins-Jeffrey Gardenas 8-2.