Men's Tennis Visits Unbeaten Delaware Sunday in Elkton, Md.

Sunday, February 18

Elkton, Md.

1 p.m.

Bucknell University

Delaware

Photo by: Ben Popko

Men's Tennis Visits Unbeaten Delaware Sunday in Elkton, Md.

2/15/2024 5:44:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Bucknell (3-1) at Delaware (3-0)
When: Sunday, Feb. 18, 1 p.m.
Where: Elkton Tennis Center, Elkton, Md.

LIVE RESULTS

Bucknell at a Glance

Bucknell brings a 3-1 record and a two-match winning streak into its toughest test yet this spring, a Sunday afternoon date with Delaware. The Blue Hens are 3-0, with the wins coming against William & Mary (6-1), Penn State (5-1), and Penn (4-3), heading into a Friday home match against Villanova.
The Bison handled Rider 6-1 last Saturday in Lawrenceville, N.J. The match was able to be played outdoors on an unseasonably warm mid-February day. Bucknell swept the three doubles matches and took five of the six singles tilts en route to its 13th straight win over the Broncs.
Bucknell has taken the doubles point in all four dual matches this spring. The senior/freshman tandem of Tim Zelikovsky and Liam Kilmer are a perfect 3-0 at No. 3 doubles, with one match going unfinished. Amar Tahirovic/Brendan McDonald at No. 1 and Oscar Bain Moreno de Vega/Adam Stavrakas at No. 2 are both 3-1 in duals. Tahirovic has a team-high 16 doubles wins, including the fall season.
Bucknell now has a 75-28 combined singles record, including 17-7 in the four duals. Tahirovic is 3-1 at No. 1 singles this spring and 12-2 on the full season. Zelikovsky (13-1), Bain (13-4), and Kilmer (11-2) are also double-digit winners.
Zelikovsky, the team's lone senior, gives the Bison a big lift in the bottom half of the lineup. He is 4-0 this spring, with two wins at No. 6 and one each at 4 and 5. Zelikovsky upped his career singles record to 55-22, with the 55 wins ranking T-12th in team history. He needs only four more wins to jump into the top 10.

Delaware at a Glance/Series History

The Blue Hens are off to a sensational start in 2024, highlighted by their first-ever win over Penn State and a dramatic 4-3 win over Penn on Sunday, which was clinched at No. 3 singles on a 7-6, 7-6 win by Javier Ruiz, a grad transfer from Utah State.
Delaware finished 16-9 last season but was knocked out of the CAA Tournament by Elon.
Bucknell and Delaware were once longtime rivals in the Middle American Conference and the East Coast Conference.
The teams first met in 1933, and the Bison hold a slim 28-27-1 record in the all-time series. Delaware has won four straight head-to-head matchups, including a 6-1 win last season in South Williamsport that was much more competitive than the final score indicates. Amar Tahirovic was a 7-5, 6-3 winner over Luis Molina at No. 2 singles for Bucknell's lone point. The Blue Hens won three-set matches at 1, 5, and 6 and needed a 7-5 win at No. 2 doubles to secure the doubles point.
The Bison and Blue Hens played at the Elkton Tennis Center two seasons ago, and Delaware prevailed 4-3 thanks to wins in the top two and bottom two singles spots.

Next Up

Bucknell will play twice at home next weekend, hosting Mount St. Mary's on Friday at 5 p.m. and Le Moyne on Sunday at 11 a.m. Both matches will be held at the Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport.