After finishing out regular season play with an overall record of 10-17 and 3-4 in the Patriot League, men’s tennis qualified for the 2017 Patriot League Championship that took place April 21-22. The sixth-seeded Orange and Blue edged out third-seeded Lehigh 4-3. Falling to second-seeded Navy in the semifinal round, the men ended their season with a record of 11-18 overall.

Coming off a loss to Lehigh on April 16, the Bison were out for revenge on the Mountain Hawks going into the April 21 matches. A duo of Bryan Adams ’17 and Andrei Vitiuc ’19 dominated court one for a 6-4 victory, while on court three Max Palmer ’20 and Max Kane ’18 won by a score of 6-3.

In a thrilling singles match, Palmer held on for a three-set win. Securing some momentum in the first set, Palmer won 7-6 (7-5). In set two, Palmer lost in a 6-0 shutout but outlasted his opponent 6-4 in the final set.

With the team score wavering throughout the match, the team truly came together to complete the victory. Daniel Wright ’18 and Adams contributed to the team score with a singles wins of their own, ultimately sending the team to the semifinal round.

The team fell 4-1 against Navy on April 22. Max McDonald ’19 recorded the Bison’s only win of the day in straight sets. McDonald completed the spring season with a personal record of 9-13. Competing in the final match of his college career, Adams teamed up with Vitiuc, leading 5-3 in an unfinished match. Adams concluded his career ranked 15th all-time in University doubles wins and 20th in combined singles and doubles wins.

“I am very proud of the way our team fought in both matches. We have a lot to be proud of and we know that we are right there to win a Patriot League Championship, so that motivates us to keep working at getting better at the small things and getting to the next level,” Wright said.

The Bison will look to build on their development in the off season, in hopes of returning to the tournament next year.