Head coach Richard Greco, Jr. takes both the men's and women's tennis teams to the Southern Tier Wednesday for matches with Houghton

Men's & Women's Tennis Trek To Houghton Wednesday

3/8/2022 12:30:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications/Operations | 716-839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen men's and women's tennis teams will both return to action Wednesday, March 9 when they travel to the Kerr-Pegula Field House on the campus of Houghton College to take on the Highlanders beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The Daemen men (0-5, 0-0 ECC) are coming off a 7-0 setback to Edinboro on February 25 - their second loss in as many matches this spring.

The Wildcats are led by veteran Phillip Vance (Orchard Park, N.Y.). Now in his third season with the program, Vance has collected 15 wins (combined singles/doubles) in his career to date. Newcomers Luis de Vuyst (Antwerp, Belgium) and Zachary Laplante (Ottawa, Canada) also figure prominently in the Wildcats' lineup which will get a boost with the return of sophomore Sam Greco (Amherst, N.Y.) who had missed the first two matches of the spring season.

The Houghton men's team has posted a 2-4 record so far this season and will be looking to snap a three-match slide. The Highlanders, who are members of NCAA Division III and the Empire Eight Conference, are coming off a 9-0 loss to Calvin which capped a five-match trip to Florida last week. Senior Matt Cicero and junior Matt Schilke headline a group of five returning student-athletes from Houghton's 2020-21 team which posted a 10-4 overall record. Cicero (8-4) and Schilke (9-2) combined to go 17-6 in singles play last season.

Daemen, which defeated the Highlanders 8-1 in their 2020-21 season opener, has won each of the seven all-time meetings with Houghton.

MEN'S PROJECTED LINEUP VS. HOUGHTON
#1 Doubles: Phillip Vance / Zachary Laplante
#2 Doubles: Luis de Vuyst / Sam Greco
#3 Doubles: Ross Belen / Jayven Williamson

#1 Singles: Luis de Vuyst
#2 Singles: Phillip Vance
#3 Singles: Zachary Laplante
#4 Singles: Ross Belen
#5 Singles: Sam Greco
#6 Singles: Marcos Lerma Escoboar

On the women's side, the Wildcats (4-9, 2-3 ECC) will also be playing their third match of the spring season. Daemen has suffered a pair of losses this spring, both by 5-2 final scores. Most recently, the Wildcats fell to Division I Niagara despite getting singles victories from junior Christina Stasiuk (Bowmansville, N.Y.) and sophomore Frida Rubio (San Diego, Calif.).

Rubio (San Diego, Calif.) leads the team with 14 combined singles/doubles wins this season. The 2020-21 ECC Rookie of the Year has 27 wins in her career, placing her in a tie for seventh in program history.

Stasiuk is 2-0 in singles play this spring and has increased her career win total (combined singles/doubles) to 79. She ranks third in program history and is just five wins shy of tying Gretchen Ringler for second. She also stands alone in second place for career singles wins with 45.

The Houghton women (3-13, 3-3 E8) re-started their 2021-22 season last week, but went 0-5 on a trip to Florida. They are coming off a 7-2 loss to Calvin. Senior Tessa Brown and junior Chloe Esch share the team lead with six singles wins apiece. Esch accounted for one of the Highlanders' points in the loss to Calvin, thanks to her 6-2, 6-4 win in the No. 2 singles position.

Daemen will be looking to stay unbeaten in the all-time series with Houghton, having won all six prior meetings.

WOMEN'S PROJECTED LINEUP VS. HOUGHTON
#1 Doubles: Frida Rubio / Kitsa Scime
#2 Doubles: Christina Stasiuk / Yinett Del Leon
#3 Doubles: Mackenzie Schayes / Hannah Pagano

#1 Singles: Frida Rubio
#2 Singles: Christina Stasiuk
#3 Singles: Kitsa Scime
#4 Singles: Yinett Del Leon
#5 Singles: Mackenzie Schayes
#6 Singles: Hannah Pagano

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen College tennis program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @DaemenTennis.

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