Ebensburg, Pa. – Saint Francis University men's and women's tennis will continue their 2025 campaigns with three combined matches over the weekend. The men play twice against Siena and at Bucknell on Friday and Saturday, while the women head up the road to play Penn State.
The matches against Siena and Bucknell are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively. The women's match on Friday starts at 3 p.m.
Women's Tennis Quick Hits
Saint Francis is 1-2 after falling to Navy last week in their first match of the calendar year.
Dasha Chichkina and Diana Zuba are the top performers entering the match, but did not play against the Midshipmen due to being the NEC's representative at the inaugural ITA Conference Masters tournament back in November. Chichkina went 11-3 in singles during the fall and Zuba went 11-4. They are both 10-8 as a doubles team. Chichkina and Zuba combined for four NEC Prime Performer selections in the fall. Chichkina was named NEC Rookie of the Month in both September and October.
Kally Kadzinski and Kelly Dowuona went 9-4 and 10-6 in singles respectively during the fall. They went 12-5 as a doubles team in the fall. Both players dropped their matches against Navy to fall to 9-5 and 10-6 respectively in singles, and 12-6 as a pair.
Dowuona and Kadzinski were named NEC Prime Performers for the month of September. While Reagen Mangan all was named an NEC Prime Performer in October.
Scouting Penn State
The Nittany Lions are 2-0 on the year after picking up wins over Villanova and Old Dominion last weekend.
Patricia Girgoras holds the best singles record for Penn State at 7-3. Yvonne Zuffova and Jelena Vico have gone 8-5 and 5-2 in singles respectively.
Olivia Dorner and Maiko Uchijima are the top doubles team for the Nittany Lions at 12-2 on the year.
All-Time vs. Penn State
Saint Francis has lost both previous matchups against Penn State in 2023 and 2024.
The Red Flash fell to the Nittany Lions in a 5-2 loss last season. Dowuona won her singles match in the no. 5 slot and won the no. 3 doubles match alongside Kadzinski.
Men's Tennis Quick Hits
Saint Francis enters the weekend at 0-1 after dropping their season opener to Navy last weekend.
Alan Gonzalez went 6-3 in singles during the fall and 6-1 when teaming with Kevin Kruzel in doubles. The sophomore from Mission, Texas took his match against the Midshipmen to three sets before falling 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7). He was playing in the no. 1 slot.
Tyler Nguyen and Mathis Tremblay were the top doubles team for the Red Flash during the fall, compiling an 11-4 record during the fall and qualifying for ITA Conference Masters as the winners of the top doubles flight at NEC Individuals. For that reason, they did not compete in the match against Navy. That NEC Individuals doubles final was an all-Saint Francis affair, as Nguyen and Tremblay knocked off Gonzalez and Kruzel.
Scouting Siena
Siena will open their 2025 season with their match against the Red Flash friday morning.
Oscar Martinez was the top singles performer for the Saints in the fall, compiling a record of 12-2 in singles and 13-2 in doubles alongside partner Dylan Breen.
All-Time vs. Siena
Saint Francis and Siena have split their previous two meetings, with the Red Flash claiming a 6-1 victory in their most recent match back in 2014.
Scouting Bucknell
The Bison also kick off their 2025 season against the Red Flash.
Bucknell had three players reach the 10-win mark in the fall. Nelson Alapi went 11-1, Adam Stavrakas went 11-3 and Amir Tahirovic went 11-2.
Tahirovic formed the top Bucknell doubles team alongside Brendan McDonald at 5-2 throughout the fall.
All-Time vs. Bucknell
Saint Francis have won four out of 14 meetings all-time against Bucknell. All four Red Flash wins came between 2014-2018.
The Red Flash last played Bucknell on Jan. 27, 2024 in a match they dropped to the Bison.
Next
Both teams head to Upstate New York for conferences matches against Binghamton and Le Moyne on Feb. 1 and 2.
