Lehigh University Athletics
Friday, September 10
Villanova, Pa.
Lehigh University
at
Villanova Invitational
Mountain Hawks Head To Villanova Invitational To Kick Off Fall Season
9/9/2021 9:16:00 PM | Men's Tennis
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's tennis team will take to the courts for the first time this season at the fall-opening Villanova Invitational, beginning Friday on Villanova's West Campus Tennis Courts. The Mountain Hawks will be one of seven teams playing in the event, the first of four fall competitions on the slate.
This year's Villanova Invitational consists of two tournament brackets – the Blue Draw and the White Draw – which each feature 16 matchups. The tournament will once again be a "two-and-one" format in which each matchup includes a doubles match followed by two singles matches to determine the advancing team. The winners in the first round will advance in the bracket while the non-advancing team will compete in the consolation bracket.
Participating teams include Saint Joseph's, Colgate, Loyola, Johns Hopkins and Swarthmore in addition to Lehigh and the host Wildcats.
Lehigh went 5-3 during the spring campaign with regular season wins over Villanova plus Patriot League foes Loyola, Colgate and Bucknell. The Mountain Hawks won a 4-3 thriller over Boston University in the Patriot League quarterfinals before bowing to Army West Point in the semifinals.
The Mountain Hawks are led by Zack Elliott, who enters his senior season as a two-time All-Patriot League honoree after earning first team honors in the spring. Elliott went 4-4 in singles at the No. 1 position. He is part of a senior class that also includes Gary Fishkin, the hero of the victory over BU, and Andrew Nakhjavan.
Juniors Matt Kleiman and Jeremy Learner and sophomore Jordan Paul saw extensive singles action during the spring season. Other returnees include juniors Michael Bukhalo and Steven Nazaroff and sophomore David Missry. Freshman Marc Blekhman is the lone newcomer this season.
At the Villanova Invitational, Elliott and Blekhman and Kleiman and Learner will represent the Mountain Hawks in the 16-team blue draw. Lehigh's pairings for the white draw will be Paul and Bukhalo and Fishkin and Nakhjavan.
Following the Villanova Invitational, Lehigh will host its annual fall Invitational, featuring a hidden dual format, on the Goodman Campus Sept. 18-19. The Mountain Hawks will play in the Saint Joseph's Invitational, Sept. 24-26. Penn will host the ITA Regionals, Oct. 14-19.
This year's Villanova Invitational consists of two tournament brackets – the Blue Draw and the White Draw – which each feature 16 matchups. The tournament will once again be a "two-and-one" format in which each matchup includes a doubles match followed by two singles matches to determine the advancing team. The winners in the first round will advance in the bracket while the non-advancing team will compete in the consolation bracket.
Participating teams include Saint Joseph's, Colgate, Loyola, Johns Hopkins and Swarthmore in addition to Lehigh and the host Wildcats.
Lehigh went 5-3 during the spring campaign with regular season wins over Villanova plus Patriot League foes Loyola, Colgate and Bucknell. The Mountain Hawks won a 4-3 thriller over Boston University in the Patriot League quarterfinals before bowing to Army West Point in the semifinals.
The Mountain Hawks are led by Zack Elliott, who enters his senior season as a two-time All-Patriot League honoree after earning first team honors in the spring. Elliott went 4-4 in singles at the No. 1 position. He is part of a senior class that also includes Gary Fishkin, the hero of the victory over BU, and Andrew Nakhjavan.
Juniors Matt Kleiman and Jeremy Learner and sophomore Jordan Paul saw extensive singles action during the spring season. Other returnees include juniors Michael Bukhalo and Steven Nazaroff and sophomore David Missry. Freshman Marc Blekhman is the lone newcomer this season.
At the Villanova Invitational, Elliott and Blekhman and Kleiman and Learner will represent the Mountain Hawks in the 16-team blue draw. Lehigh's pairings for the white draw will be Paul and Bukhalo and Fishkin and Nakhjavan.
Following the Villanova Invitational, Lehigh will host its annual fall Invitational, featuring a hidden dual format, on the Goodman Campus Sept. 18-19. The Mountain Hawks will play in the Saint Joseph's Invitational, Sept. 24-26. Penn will host the ITA Regionals, Oct. 14-19.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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