ABINGTON, Pa. – The Ursinus College men's tennis team won every contested match of Monday's season opener at Penn State Abington, claiming a 7-2 decision with a five-man contingent.
While singles play came with some close calls, the Bears turned doubles into a romp in their first fall contest since 2014. Mason Groff and Matt Fontanese kicked off the rout with an 8-0 shutout at No. 1 doubles, and Connor DeFaber-Schumacher teamed with rookie debutante Noah Mandel for a matching sweep at No. 2.
DeFaber-Schumacher notched the 30th doubles win of his career, becoming the 10th player in program history to reach that milestone.
Fontanese was first off the court in singles play as well, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 triumph at No. 2. DeFaber-Schumacher was right on the heels of Fontanese with a 6-2, 6-1 score line at No. 3.
Mandel grabbed a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 5 before Ursinus closed the match with a pair of three-set thrillers, with Groff and Kyle Bookman each rallying back from a set down.
Groff secured a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 10-5 win at No. 1, and Bookman turned his play up another level to obtain a 4-6, 6-2, 10-1 triumph at No. 4.
The Bears will send a group of players to the ITA Championships, scheduled for October 4-5 at Mary Washington.