The men’s tennis team opened its season on Feb. 1 with a hard-fought battle against the Saint Francis (Pa.) Red Flash at the West Branch Tennis Club in Williamsport, Pa. Nick Bybel ’15 and Kyle Rosen ’14 walked away with the only singles victories for the Orange and Blue in their 5-2 loss to the Red Flash.

After a narrow 6-5 defeat in the No. 1 doubles spot with partner Octavio Canibe ’15, Bybel surged to a 6-1, 6-0 victory in the No. 1 singles spot. Rosen rallied back after losing the first set to claim a 4-6, 6-5, 10-6 victory, winning a third set tiebreaker in the No. 6 singles spot. Jonathan DeFrancesch ’15 and Scott Bernstein ’14 were the only other Bison to come out on top, earning a smooth 6-1 victory in the No. 3 doubles slot.

“The match didn’t go the way we planned, but it was our first match of the year and showed us what we need to work on to be ready for the rest of the season,” Bybel said.

The Bison look to improve on this last performance and come out on top in their next two matches. The Orange and Blue will travel to play at Penn State tomorrow, then conclude their road trip with a match at St. Peter’s on Feb. 9.