Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Tennis Travels to Baltimore to Take on UMBC on Friday Afternoon
2/27/2014 5:32:00 PM | Men's Tennis
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell men's tennis team returns to action for its fifth match of the season on Friday afternoon, traveling to Baltimore, Md. to take on UMBC in a 7:15 p.m. contest at the 40 West Racquet Club. The Bison were also scheduled to play Coppin State on Friday, but the match was postponed due to the chilly temperatures and has been rescheduled for March 21 at 1 p.m. The lightened schedule allows Bucknell, which has played to an 0-4 record in the opening weeks of the season, to focus all of its energy on obtaining a win over UMBC.
“We will continue to go out there and compete,” said interim head men's tennis coach Craig Schwartz, “which will give us the opportunity to keep improving match by match. Once again, it is crucial for certain guys to step up and get the win, and I am confident that if they can do that we will give UMBC a run for their money.”
Bucknell struggled against Duquesne last Friday evening, dropping a 7-0 decision at the West Branch Tennis Club. The Bison challenged the Dukes considerably however, putting up many tough fights. In doubles play, seniors Chris Tortora and Scott Bernstein dropped a slim, 8-5 decision at the No. 2 spot, while senior Kyle Rosen and junior Jonathan DeFrancesch were defeated in the tie-break in the No. 3 match, falling by a score of 9-8 (5). Sophomore Nick Bybel, who played at the No. 1 spot, came the closest to victory in singles play, battling back from a 6-3 loss in the first set of the match to win the second by a score of 6-3. Bybel couldn't quite eke out the victory however, as he dropped a 6-4 decision in the final set.
None of the current Bison have squared off against the Retrievers before, as the last time the two squads met was on March 29, 2008. The battle was tight in that match, but UMBC came out on top, winning 4-3. The Retrievers have played to a 4-3 record this season and have won two straight, earning victories over Prairie View (7-0), Temple (7-0), Morgan State (6-0) and James Madison (6-1).
After Friday's match, Bucknell will return to action on Saturday, March 8 when it heads to Norfolk, Va. to take on Old Dominion at 10 a.m.
Players Mentioned
