Men's Tennis | 3/19/2026 2:57:00 PM

WEEKEND PREVIEW 
The Saint Francis men's tennis team begins a busy weekend slate with a record of 4-9 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Last weekend, Saint Francis was unable to secure a victory against NEC foe Binghamton, falling 6-1 on Friday evening at the Gorrellia House gym in Altoona, Pennsylvania. This weekend's slate starts at home on Friday, March 20, at 6 p.m. against the Dukes of Duquesne for senior night, followed by their final home match against the LIU Sharks on Saturday, March 21, at 1 p.m. The busy weekend concludes with an away match in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, on March 22 against the Bucknell Bison at 1 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT  
Saint Francis found a bright spot on Sunday afternoon at the Ebensburg Tennis Center, as sophomore Noah Potts delivered a strong performance on court six with a 6-1, 6-3 victory. The win marks his second of the spring slate and seventh overall this season, providing a positive takeaway for the Red Flash as they look ahead to a busy weekend of competition.

OPENING SERVE VS DUQUESNE
This marks the tenth time these two teams have met since the 2012 season. The last and only time the Red Flash recorded a win over the Dukes came in 2017 with a 4-3 victory.

SCOUTING THE DUKES 
So far this season, the Dukes enter Friday's match with an overall record of 4-6. No one has turned heads more than sophomore Enrique Lana, who represented the Duquesne men's tennis team at the Atlantic 10 Conference Masters. Accompanying Lana in doubles action is Aril Kyra Tuna, arguably the second-best player on the team. Their overall record as a duo is 5-5, the best in the lineup.

OPENING SERVE VS LIU 
Entering Saturday afternoon, Saint Francis is still looking to claim its first victory against the Sharks, having only faced each other twice. The last encounter was last season, when LIU claimed a 6-1 victory in Brooklyn, New York.

SCOUTING THE SHARKS 
With an overall record of 4-4, LIU entered the 2026 spring slate having been voted to finish fourth in the NEC preseason coaches poll. So far this season, the standout player for the Sharks has been senior Bassil Touban, who leads the team with a 9-5 record.

OPENING SERVE VS BUCKNELL
For the 16th time, Saint Francis and Bucknell will square off on the tennis court. Despite the Bison winning the last six matchups, the Red Flash looks to cap off their busy weekend with a win. The last time these two programs faced off was last season, when Bucknell defeated Saint Francis 7-0.

SCOUTING THE BISON 
With a record of 7-8, the Bison return their entire roster from last year's championship squad, including Patriot League Player of the Year Amar Tahirovic and PL Tournament MVP and First Team All-PL selection Adam Stavrakas.

NEXT SERVE
The Red Flash men's tennis team is back in action on Friday, March 27, as they travel to Erie, Pennsylvania, to take on Mercyhurst at the Westwood Racquet Club, with a start time of 5 p.m.

AT THE HELM THE KINGS COURT 
As head coach, Hovan continues his fifth season in Loretto. 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 helping the men reach 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).