Bucknell University Athletics
Patriot League Men's Tennis Preseason Poll Announced, Bison Picked Sixth
2/9/2004 7:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 9, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Patriot League coaches and sports information directors tabbed the Bison men's tennis team to finish sixth in the conference in 2004, despite returning five of six players with significant starting experience in singles last year.
Bucknell went 3-1 in the fall dual match season, knocking off Duquesne, Robert Morris, and St. Francis (Pa.), and falling to Delaware 4-3 on the last singles tiebreak. Included in the five players who started a significant number of singles matches last year are junior captain Nick Denefrio, juniors Gerald DiChiara and Joe Menezes, and sophomores Asher Salam and Aaron Saperstein. Of the regular starters, Bucknell graduated only Todd Jacobs, the most frequent No. 2 singles player from last season's team.
Last season, the first with Rebecca Helt as the head coach of both the men's and women's team following the retirement of Bob Hammerlee following the 2002 season, Bucknell went 7-21 in dual match play. There has been significant roster turnover, however, as the Bison return just six of the ten players on last year's roster and add six new ones. Freshman Matt Pikus played the most in the fall season among the new additions, going 5-4 in singles play and 6-5 in doubles contests.
The Bison will open their season at The College of New Jersey tournament, a three-day affair beginning on Friday, Feb. 13.
Team Points (1st) 2003 Record (Overall, League) American 72 (12) 14-4, 5-1 Army 58 (2) 15-5, 4-1 Navy 48 11-13, 4-1 Colgate 47 10-9, 3-3 Lehigh 27 7-9, 1-5 Bucknell 21 3-18, 0-5 Lafayette 21 7-4-1, 2-3
