Men's Tennis | 2/13/2026 8:00:00 AM

Friday, Feb.13 | Bucknell | Lewisburg, PA | Central PA Tennis Center | 6pm 

Sunday, Feb.15 | FDU | Hershey, PA | Hershey Tennis Center | 6pm 

OPENING SERVE VS CARNEGIE 
The Saint Francis University men's tennis team opens the long weekend on the road, starting with Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Pa. This will be the 10th time the two programs have met; the Tartans currently lead the all-time series with six wins.

SCOUTING THE TARTANS 
So far this season, Carnegie Mellon is 2-0. Leading the Tartans in wins is freshman Alex Feies with an 8-3 record. In doubles, the duo of Feies and freshman Daniel Kong leads the team with a 2-2 record.

OPENING SERVE VS BLOOMBURG
This is just the third time the Red Flash and Huskies have faced off on the court. Saint Francis has won both previous matchups, most recently in the 2023 season, when it secured a 5-2 victory.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Entering Saturday's match with a 1-0 record, junior Denis Dementev leads the Huskies in wins this season with an overall record of 7-2. In doubles, the duo of Dementev and senior Iu Casamitjana is 5-4.
OPENING SERVE VS FDU
This is the 13th time these two Northeast Conference foes have faced off, dating back to the 2011 season. The last matchup was last year when Saint Francis faced the Knights in Hershey and lost 5-2.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS  
Entering Sunday's matchup with a 0-4 record, the Knights feature a lineup made up of a strong returning cast, including NEC All-Tournament Team member senior Gryffin Minor and returning Coach of the Year Alex Cole. Currently, senior Jorge Alonso-Cortes leads the team in singles wins with a 9-5 record. In doubles, the duo of junior Tauras Mickus and senior Tze En Gareth Ong is featured.

LAST TIME OUT 
Saint Francis men's tennis earned its first win of the 2025-26 season with a 5-2 victory over Le Moyne on Saturday. The Red Flash secured the doubles point and claimed four singles wins, led by Suresh and Troyan.

FLASH QUOTES 
This week, assistant coach Palko shared his thoughts on the team's match against Le Moyne. "The men's team continues to work hard and improve," Palko said. "On paper, we were the underdog against Le Moyne, but the guys didn't give in. They stepped onto the court and gave 100% in both matches and practice."Palko also highlighted the recent performance of senior captain Greg Troyan. "It's been great to see senior captain Greg Troyan pick up some big wins," he said. "He's really embracing the No. 2 singles spot and is being rewarded for his efforts. His results have been a huge boost for the team."

NEXT TIME OUT 
The Saint Francis men's tennis team is back in action next weekend as they travel to Bethlehem, Pa., to take on the Lehigh Hawks at the Lewis Indoor Tennis Center, with a start time of 11 a.m.

AT THE HELM 
Head coach Hovan is in his fifth season at Saint Francis. Very few words can describe his career other than "successful," as he's helped both the men's and women's teams reach new heights. In 2023-24, he was named NEC Coach of the Year after guiding the men to their second NEC Championship Game. Last season, the women's tennis team made the NEC Championship Game for the first time in program history.

THE KINGS COURT 
Men's tennis sophomore and reigning Rookie of the Year, Kevin Titus Suresh, has been nothing short of dominant this 2025-26 season, proving why he has earned the nickname "The King." Looking back at his fall slate, Suresh posted a team-high 10-6 record across six tournaments, positioning himself for a chance to claim his first NEC Singles Championship, which earned him a spot in the ITA Masters in San Diego in early November. So far during the spring slate, he leads the team with a 12-6 record in singles and an 11-6 record in doubles.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK 
While the Red Flash retained many key players from last year's quarterfinal team, Coach Hovan and assistant coach Palko added four first-year players: Mario Beckles (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional), Luke Mitchell (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area), Jonah Ng (Fairview, Pa./Pennsylvania Cyber), and Deven Pandey (Bethlehem, Pa./Saucon Valley High School).