AMHERST, N.Y. – Once again, the Daemen University men's tennis team will play back-to-back matches this weekend, hosting District Columbia in East Coast Conference play for a Friday night (7 p.m.) dual before visiting Walsh on Sunday afternoon (3 p.m.)

The Wildcats (3-10, 0-2 ECC) are looking to avoid a third straight loss after defeats in matches against ECC perennial Queens (7-0 on April 2) and Division III member RIT (7-2 on April 3) last weekend. The Wildcats have won three of their last eight matches and are 1-4 since a 6-1 win versus St. Vincent on March 19. Daemen was swept in both singles and doubles play against the Knights Friday but found some success Saturday against the Tigers.
 
Luis de Vuyst (Antwerp, Belgium) teamed up with Sam Greco (Amherst, N.Y.) and won in first doubles and later earned another victory in singles play. de Vuyst now leads the team with 11 combined singles and doubles wins, with four of them coming in first doubles with Greco.
 
Zachary Laplante (Ottawa, Ont.) has already made an impact on the Wildcats in his first season with the program after transferring from Salem University (W. Va.). Laplante enters the weekend second on the team with 10 combined singles and doubles wins. Laplante has won three of his last six singles matches.

Now in his third season with the program, Philip Vance (Orchard Park, N.Y.) surpassed the 20-win mark (combined singles/doubles) earlier this season at Shenandoah. The Western New York native has eight combined wins this season, including a team-best five in doubles action. 
 
District Columbia returns three players from their 2019-20 team that went 4-7 overall before the majority of their spring season was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Firebirds are currently 3-9 overall and 1-2 in East Coast Conference play this year and are led by sixth-year head coach T. Richard "Dickie" Mahaffey III. With the UDC men's tennis team, Mahaffey is a two-time ECC Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2012. In what was their East Coast Conference season opener, the Wildcats lost to the visiting Firebirds, 5-1, on March 26 at the Miller Tennis Center. The Wildcats are still searching for their first win against an ECC opponent since a 6-1 road win against the University of District Columbia on April 7, 2019.

Walsh is a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Cavaliers return nine players from their 2020-21 team that went 8-10 overall. The Cavaliers enter Saturday with a 13-7 record (3-1 G-MAC), are 10-6 this spring alone and have won three of their last four matches. The Cavaliers are led by head coach Bryan Whittaker, who previously served as an assistant coach for two seasons before taking over the reins in 2012. Heading into Saturday, Whittaker has recorded 142 career wins with the men's team alone. This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Cavaliers. Walsh has won the three meetings, including their last encounter – a 6-1 win on February 16, 2019 in North Canton, Ohio.

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.

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