Men's Tennis Opens Patriot League Play Against Lafayette and Colgate

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell men's tennis will take its four-match winning streak into conference play as it plays its first Patriot League match of the season when it hosts Lafayette on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The Bison will then head to Hamilton, New York for a match with Colgate on Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Bison's current winning streak, which includes victories over Mount St. Mary's, Chestnut Hill, Villanova, and George Mason, is one more win than the team had all of last season. They haven't lost since falling 6-1 to Creighton on the final day of their spring break trip to Orlando.

Junior Nick Bybel is working on making his record for wins in a season unreachable, except for maybe by himself next year. He is 30-3 on the season, including a 14-1 mark during the spring with a 13-match winning streak. He and Bryan Adams have won six straight matches at No. 1 doubles to improve to 12-2 during the spring.

Senior Octavio Canibe and freshman Daniel Wright have also played a big part in the team's recent success. Canibe is unbeaten in singles in the past four matches, including a victory to help the Bison beat George Mason on Senior Day. Wright is also 4-0 during that stretch and is 12-2 this spring while competing anywhere from the second to the fourth spot in the lineup.

Lafayette comes to Lewisburg with an overall record of 5-8 and a league mark of 1-4. The Leopards have lost four straight matches, including three by shutout, all to Patriot League opponents.

Colgate will be a tough challenge for the Bison. The Raiders have won seven straight matches to improve to 12-5 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

Bucknell went 1-1 against this week's opponents last season. The Bison defeated Lafayette 5-2, but dropped a close 4-3 verdict to the Raiders.