The Lehigh men’s tennis team faced off against rival Lafayette College on Tuesday afternoon, securing a 4-0 victory in a play-to-clinch dual.
The Mountain Hawks (12-8, 5-1 Patriot) approached the contest with a focused mindset that led to a dominant performance against the Leopards (4-10, 1-5 Patriot).
“It’s always a big rivalry for Lehigh,” coach Craig Schwartz said. “For us, it’s just taking care of business, coming out with the right mindset. We’ve had the best of Lafayette for many years now, so I think it’s just not taking them for granted, and us coming out with the same game plan we’ve been having no matter who’s on the other side of the net.”
Lehigh set the tone early in doubles play, winning the opening to matches to secure the doubles point.
At No. 2, senior Wyeth Anzilloti and first-year Henry Stoller were first off the court, defeating Lafayette seniors Sam Gelber and Jake Magnusson, 6-3. Lehigh followed up at No. 3 when sophomore Rafael Gracie and first-year Kosei Ogata took down junior Derrin Lerner and first-year Nikolas Martirossian, 6-4.
With the doubles point already decided, Lehigh junior Alex Van Lumich and fifth-year student Sean Jaeger had their No. 1 doubles match abandoned while leading 6-5.
The Mountain Hawks kept the momentum going as all six players took the first set of their singles matches.
Van Lumich, who holds a 13-2 record and was awarded Patriot League Player of the Week honors on April 7, defeated first-year Ricky Espaillat in two sets in the No. 1 singles match, 6-3, 6-3.
At No. 4, Stoller delivered a win against first-year John Dickens, 6-1, 6-2.
Junior Benedict Horn-Bourque clinched the victory at No. 5, defeating Martirossian, 6-4, 6-2.
“I was ready for a tough match, for sure,” Horn-Bourque said. “We were ready for a good battle, we came out ready and we got it done.”
Both Van Lumich and Horn-Bourque noted the external conditions as a factor in their preparation. With recent matches transitioning outdoors after an indoor season, adapting to wind and the elements has become a focus.
The Mountain Hawks are hosting the Patriot League Championships on April 23-26, and look forward to carrying their momentum into postseason play.
“It was more of a preparation match for the weekend coming up, senior day and also the Patriot League Championship,” Van Lumich said. “It was a match to try and improve a bit more.”
For Lehigh, it’s been a season of success. The Mountain Hawks’ 4-0 start was a program high, and they picked up their first win over Navy in 13 years on March 28.
“I think that alone just kind of gave the belief for the team that, ‘Hey, we’re actually good enough to win it, and we belong here,’” Schwartz said.
Lehigh will face Bucknell University in the final regular season match Saturday at home at the Ulrich Varsity Tennis Courts.
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