Men's Tennis Stopped Short at AMCC Championships

WEXFORD, Pa. – The second-seeded Penn State Behrend men's tennis team fell to top-ranked Franciscan in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Championship match 5-2 on Sunday.

It is the second title in three years for the Barons, who fell to the Lions last year at the conference championships. Both teams won their semifinal matches to advance to the championship contest. Franciscan defeated Pitt-Greensburg and the Lions won over Penn State Altoona by identical scores, 5-0.

In a tightly contested battle for the crown, the Barons took an early 2-1 lead after the doubles competition. Paul Jarzynka and Briani Robau narrowly beat Taimi Ando (Franklin Lakes, NJ/Ramapo) and Chris Galvin (Erie, PA/McDowell) at No. 1 doubles, 9-7.

It was a two-point match in the next two doubles, with the Barons getting the No. 2 doubles win over Lerdlarp Jaturapol (Bangkok, Thailand/Palmerslon) and David Buiter (London, England/IMG Academies), 8-6.

With the tournament set up to play the first two five wins, Franciscan quickly got to a 4-1 lead after playing the No. 1 and 2 singles matches. Jarzynka edged out Ando, 7-5, 6-4 in the top spot and Leonel Lacaya posted a 6-0, 6-0 decision over Galvin at No. 2.

Carson Emili (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon) was a 6-0, 6-2 winner at No. 6 singles over David Freytag to keep the Lions alive in the match, however Robau earned a 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 3 singles to give the Barons the AMCC  title.

In the semifinal match on Saturday, Behrend breezed based the Altoona Lions. Ando and Galvin were 8-2 winners at No. 1 doubles. Jaturapol and Buiter managed a 6-3 decision at No. 2, while Guillermo Guillen (San Pedro Sula, Honduras/EIS) and Sujyot Mony (Bangalore, India / Dubai International Academy) won 8-2 in the third spot.

Ando finished his No. 1 singles match with a 6-0, 6-0 victory and Galvin completed the match with a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2.