Men's Tennis Hosts Queens, Visits RIT This Weekend

4/1/2022 10:00:00 AM

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen University men's tennis team plays back-to-back matches this weekend, hosting defending East Coast Conference champion Queens (N.Y.) for a Saturday night (7 p.m.) dual before visiting RIT on Sunday afternoon (3:30 p.m.).

The Wildcats (3-8, 0-1 ECC) have won three of their last six matches, including an 8-1 defeat of Shenandoah in a trip to Northern Virginia earlier this week. Zachary Laplante (Ottawa, Ont.) and Phillip Vance (Orchard Park, N.Y.) earned wins in both singles and doubles play to lead the Wildcats.

Laplante, who is in his first season with the program after transferring from Salem University (W.Va.), leads the team with 10 combined singles and doubles wins. He has won three of his last four singles matches.

Now in his third season with the program, Vance surpassed the 20-win mark (combined singles/doubles) in Wednesday's victory at Shenandoah. The Western New York native has eight combined wins this season, including a team-best five in doubles action.

Queens returns nine players from their 2020-21 team that went unbeaten (6-0) through ECC play en route to the program's fourth straight conference title. Head coach Somadi Druker has presided over the program since 2015 and has been the ECC Coach of the Year five times. The Knights were picked first in the ECC preseason coaches' poll released in January and have posted an 8-5 overall record with wins over Division I foes Fairleigh Dickinson (5-2) and Rider (7-0). The Knights are also off to a 2-0 start to ECC play, including a tight 4-3 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas last weekend. Queens is ranked 46th in the Division II Men's ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings released this week.

RIT is a member of NCAA Division III and the Liberty League. The Tigers are led by head coach Tom Linhart who is in his second stint with the program. With four returning players from their 2020-21 team, the Tigers have posted a 5-5 record thus far with a Saturday contest vs. Rochester on the docket before they host Daemen. The Wildcats will be looking to avenge a 6-3 loss to RIT in their 2021-22 season opener last September.

MEN'S PROJECTED LINEUP
#1 Doubles: Luis de Vuyst / Sam Greco
#2 Doubles: Phillip Vance / Zachary Laplante
#3 Doubles: Jack Paute Urdiales / Jayven Williamson

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

Daemen University 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 University tennis program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @DaemenTennis.

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