This past weekend, the Villanova men’s tennis team competed with some tough but familiar foes as it attended the Lehigh Invitational on Oct. 1 and 2. The Wildcats performed well once again, continuing their strong and exciting start to the season. The opposing teams included Fairfield, Colgate and the host, Lehigh.

The tournament consisted of a hidden dual format, which allowed each team to face off against each other in dual style. This was a shortened format that can be attributed to the poor weather over the weekend. Matches were held at the indoor complex at Lehigh, which only had four courts. This was something the Wildcats had to adjust to, but it proved to be a minor inconvenience, as they had a great tournament. Villanova tennis once again left its mark on a rival school’s home court.

Head coach Brad Adams noted the gradual increase in performance throughout the season as the team really picked it up at the Invitational. The Wildcats took down Colgate and Fairfield with relative ease as they left Adams with many things to be excited about. Villanova’s toughest competition was against Lehigh. The team struggled a bit in singles, going 3-5 for the weekend. Adams noted they were a little flat during the singles matches.

Junior captain Josh Robinson showed up as usual, dominating opponents. He was a bright spot for Nova during the singles matches against Lehigh. He defeated one of Lehigh’s best, Jeremy Learner, with a commanding 8-3 victory. Another win came from sophomore Trey Fourticq, as he took on another one of Lehigh’s best players. He dominated the opponent Jackson Morash, 8-1, in what was a huge win for the Wildcats. The last singles win against Lehigh came from senior Alex Kim. He demonstrated his veteran experience and skill in an 8-7 victory against Lehigh’s Luke Donovan. 

The doubles matches against Lehigh were a completely different story. The Wildcats nearly swept Lehigh in doubles, only losing one match, 7-6. Robinson continued his strong weekend as he teamed up with junior Noah Winton to beat Lehigh’s top duo of Learner and Morash, 6-3.

Fourticq got another victory on the day as he paired up with up-and-coming star freshman Tighe Brunetti. They defeated Lehigh’s Wyeth Anzilloti and Jordan Paul, 6-1. Brunetti continued his terrific season at the Invitational with this victory and several others against Fairfield and Colgate.

The last doubles victory came from sophomore Lukas Choi and junior Anthony Prokurat. They won, 6-4, against the Lehigh team of Michael Bukhalo and Donovan. The near doubles sweep rounded out a great matchup against Lehigh and contributed to an overall fantastic outing at the Invitational. 

Villanova’s next tournament will take place from Oct. 19-23 at the ITA Atlantic Regionals. Adams has a plan regarding staying focused and being prepared despite the extended time off between matches. The team will be getting some time off during the break to recover and recharge and will be back in action on Wednesday next week, practicing every day up to the invitational.

The ITAs are a tough task that only some members of the team will be able to endure. Adams hopes to get six to eight of the best players to attend and represent Villanova.