Men’s tennis continues to struggle early in season

Lauren Boone, Managing Editor

The men’s tennis team faced a tough match against Duquesne on Feb. 21, falling 7-0 at the West Branch Tennis Club in South Williamsport, Pa.

The Bison were unable to take the lead in the opening doubles matches. No. 1 doubles team Nick Bybel ’16 and Aidan Lynch ’14 lost 8-2, while No. 2 doubles team Chris Tortora ’14 and Scott Bernstein ’14 lost 8-5. No. 3 doubles team Kyle Rosen ’14 and Jonathan DeFrancesch ’15 played a tight match that went to a tie break, but they ultimately lost 9-8 (5).

The Orange and Blue fared little better in the singles play. No. 1 Bybel fought a close match, forcing a third set but eventually falling 6-4. No. 6 singles player DeFrancesch had a close match, as well. DeFrancesch pushed the first set to a tiebreaker but was unable to take it. He fought until the end, making the second set a battle before falling 6-4.

“We have a very young team so there is obviously a steep learning curve but we are just trying to progress and get better each day,” team captain Lynch said. “I think Kyle [Rosen] and I have seen significant improvements from day one. Although we are off to a slow start, our real goal is to win a Patriot League Championship. We lost some key guys last year, but with our current roster, we strongly believe that we can blossom come Patriot Leagues.”

The defeat leaves the Bison with a 0-4 record, but the season has just begun, and the Orange and Blue hope to gain a win with their next match against Coppin State in Baltimore, Md. today at 2 p.m.

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