Bucknell University
Fordham University
Men's Tennis Hosts Fordham and Delaware to Kick Off 2020 Spring Season
1/17/2020 3:12:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Setting the Scene Part I
What:Â Fordham (0-0) at Bucknell (0-0)
When:Â Sunday, Jan. 19 (2 p.m.)
Where:Â Central PA Tennis Center - Williamsport, Pa.
Setting the Scene Part II
What:Â Delaware (0-0) at Bucknell (0-0)
When:Â Monday, Jan. 20 (1 p.m.)
Where:Â Central PA Tennis Center - Williamsport, Pa.
About the Bison
• Bucknell begins its 2020 spring season this weekend with a home match against Fordham at the Central PA Tennis Center in Williamsport, Pa. Following Sunday's match with the Rams, Bucknell plays host to Delaware on Monday, Jan. 20.
• This is the first time since 2014 that Bucknell has begun the spring season with a home match, having started the last three in Chapel Hill, N.C.
• The two home matches precede a two-day trip to Newark, N.J. where the Bison will take part in the NJIT Spring Invitational.
• Bucknell last competed on Oct. 13 at the Richmond Invitational, where Marwan Abaza and Ryan Jurist captured a doubles title to close out the fall schedule.
• Abaza, Jurist, and Cooper Bradshaw are the three Bison that return from the 2019 spring season. Outside of the addition of Dave Carvalho, who transferred from Florida Atlantic, the remainder of Bucknell's roster is made up of four freshmen.
• Per Astrom, Chunyu Chen, Michael Owen, and Guillermo Torres all begin their first spring season after a promising fall.
• The Bison competed in five tournaments during the fall slate, as well as a dual against Fairleigh Dickinson. All four freshman collected singles wins in the dual, and the Bison came away with a 7-0 decision.
• Abaza finished last spring with a 9-8 singles record, including a 5-1 record in the Patriot League. Abaza ended the season winning seven of his last eight. Ryan Jurist also impressed in Patriot League matches, going 6-2 in singles. Sophomore Cooper Bradshaw finished at .500 in singles matches in the spring and had the best doubles record at 9-4. Â
• Head coach Bruce Myers begins his fourth spring season with the program. Myers led the Bison to a 5-3 record in the Patriot League last spring.
Scouting Fordham
• Like the Bison, Fordham begins its season with Sunday's dual.
• The Rams went 17-6 last year and 4-2 in the Atlantic 10 before falling to Richmond in the Atlantic 10 Championship.
• Senior Fabian Mauritzson and junior Max Green were each Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selections last year.
• Bucknell last faced Fordham on Feb. 7, 2015, picking up a 6-1 victory over the Rams.
Scouting Delaware
• Delaware will host Richmond on Sunday before making the trip to Williamsport for Monday's match against the Bison.
• Delaware finished the 2019 spring season 14-14 and 0-3 within the CAA.
• The Blue Hens return the 2019 CAA Rookie of the Year Luis Molina, who picked up 19 singles victories during his freshman campaign.
• Bucknell last faced the Blue Hens in 2018, falling 4-3 in Wilmington, Del.
Up Next
• The Bison will head to Newark, N.J. to compete in the NJIT tournament on Jan. 25 and 26. It's the third season in a row Bucknell has attended the tournament.Â
Players Mentioned
