Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Tennis Set for Saturday Afternoon Match with Fordham
2/14/2014 3:01:00 PM | Men's Tennis
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Wintery weather may have blanketed the East Coast with snow, but the frigid outdoor temperatures will not deter the Bucknell men's tennis team from returning to the courts for its third dual match of the 2014 campaign on Saturday afternoon. The Bison, who are still looking for their first win of the season, will travel to Flushing, N.Y., where they will take on Fordham in a 2:30 p.m. contest at the National Tennis Center.
“We have made some adjustments since the first two matches that I believe will help give Fordham all that they can handle,” said interim head men's tennis coach Craig Schwartz. “In each match so far I have seen big improvements in a lot of different areas. Fordham is definitely a formidable opponent, but I believe if we stay the course and execute our game plan within each singles and doubles match, we should be able to come out on top.”
Bucknell, which holds a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series with Fordham, has faced two tough squads in the first few weeks of the season, dropping a 5-2 decision to St. Francis (Pa.) on Feb. 1 and suffering a 7-0 defeat at the hands of #58 Penn State on Feb. 8. While the Nittany Lions swept every match last weekend, the Bison turned in some promising performances against the Red Flash. Junior Jonathan DeFrancesch and senior Scott Bernstein earned a win at No. 3 doubles, playing to a 6-1 triumph, while sophomore Nick Bybel and senior Kyle Rosen were each victorious in their singles matches. Bybel earned a 6-1, 6-0 win at the top spot, while Rosen came from behind to take a 4-6, 6-5 (3), 10-6 victory at No. 6 singles.
The Rams started their dual season back in the fall, and have played six matches since September, compiling a 1-5 record. The squad was defeated by Saint Peter's (4-3), New York Tech (4-3), Fairfield (6-1), NYIT (5-2) and Concordia (7-0), and its lone win, a 5-2 triumph over Adelphi, came back on Sept. 28.
After Saturday's contest, the Bison will return to the West Branch Tennis Club in Williamsport, Pa. on Friday, Feb. 21 for their second home match of the season. Bucknell will play host to Duquesne at the indoor facility, and action is scheduled to being at 1 p.m.
