Chris McCree

Senior Writer

The men’s tennis team sent Nick Bybel ’16 and Octavio Canibe ’15 to the USTA/ITA Regional Championships on Oct. 18 to compete against some of the top players in the country. In the three matches played between the two, the Bison came away winless from the tournament.

In doubles, Bybel and Canibe teamed up against Ethan and Jacob Dunbar of Richmond. Ethan has been named twice to the All-Conference first team and has played No. 1 singles for the Spiders for two years. Not fazed by the accolades, the Orange and Blue duo proved to be worthy foes, forcing a tiebreaker which they ultimately lost 8-7 (6).

In singles, both Bybel and Canibe fell in straight sets. Matched up against Rob Stirling of James Madison, Bybel put up a strong fight in the first set (6-4), but his opponent came out even stronger in the second, taking the set 6-2. Similarly, Canibe lost a match to fellow Patriot Leaguer Thomas Pecor (Navy) 6-4, 6-0.

The Championships marked the end of the fall season for the Orange and Blue. Bybel emerged as a key member of the Bison contingent, as he finished the fall with a team-high 12 singles wins. With the loss, Canibe finished the fall season with an even 6-6 record in singles play.

The team now enters its winter offseason training before its spring season begins in February. The squad will open the spring with a series of non-conference competitions before playing its first Patriot League opponent in March.

“We have a lot of talent and experience on this team,” Irwin Reibeisen ’14 said. “We need to continue working to maximize our potential as a collective unit. I have high hopes for this season–the Patriot League title is within reach.”