Bucknell University Athletics
Bybel Listed 18th in Atlantic Region Tennis Rankings
1/14/2016 3:31:00 PM | Men's Tennis
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell men's tennis plays in one of the toughest regions in the nation, but that hasn't stopped senior Nick Bybel from being listed among the best players. Bybel is ranked 18th in the Atlantic Region heading in to his final spring season.
Bybel, who was ranked 95th in the fall edition of the national rankings, will look to use the regional ranking as a launching pad as he attempts to return to the national list this spring. The two-time Patriot League Player of the Year has dominated during the spring in his career, especially against conference opponents. He went 22-1 in dual matches last season, including a perfect 6-0 against league opponents.
Bybel is Bucknell's all-time record holder in career singles wins with a mark of 93-25 and the leader in total combined wins in singles and doubles with a record of 160-56. With another solid performance this spring, he can become the program's first ever four-time All-Patriot League selection.
Of the 17 players ranked ahead of Bybel in the Atlantic Region, 12 are from either the ACC or the Big Ten.
Recently, Bybel posted a 5-1 record while advancing to the semifinals of the USTA National Indoor Championships. Along the way, Bybel, the 19th seed in the bracket, knocked off fourth-seeded Mark Oljaca (former USF player), 11th-seeded Daniel Grunberger (plays at nationally-ranked Columbia) and 27th-seeded Zachary Lessen. His lone loss came in three sets to Columbia's Shawn Hadavi, who is ranked eighth in the Northeast Region. Bybel took the first set from Hadavi and nearly clinched the match before falling 7-6 (4) in the second set.
Bybel also competed in the mixed doubles portion of the USTA Championships, teaming with Virginia Tech's Kelly Williford to win the title. The pair, which entered as the seventh seed, went 5-0, including a win over the second-seeded team in the semifinals. They beat eighth-seeded Keith Kessler and Jessica Livianu in straight sets to clinch the title.
Players Mentioned
