EWING, NJ (March 5, 2017) -- The Vassar College men's tennis team trailed 2-1 going into singles action at No. 39 College of New Jersey, but dropped four singles matches in three sets to fall 8-1 to the Lions in non-conference action from the TCNJ Campus Recreation Center. 

The Brewers (5-3) pushed four matches to three sets, two of which went to tie-breaker, but they could not produce the outcome needed as they fell to TCNJ for the third straight season. The Lions moved to 3-0 on the season and swept the singles matches for the second consecutive day, defeating Haverford 8-1 Saturday.

In doubles, Vassar No. 1 pairing of senior Juan Felipe Laso and Alexander Luckmann cruised to an easy 8-3 win over Mitchel Sanders and Mike Stanley 8-3, but the Brewers fell in both No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to trail going into singles play. In a weird series of events, with the score 7-6 and on serve in No. 3 doubles, a point was awarded for slow play to Vassar's pairing of senior Nick Litsky and Jamie Anderson at deuce to give TCNJ the second of its doubles points at 8-6. 

Singles would be very competitive, as the clinching match for the Lions came at the No. 1 position. Sanders won the first set 6-1 over Litsky, but the Brewer's top player rebounded to take the second game 6-3. In the third set, Sanders would earn the victory for the Lions with a 6-4 decision. 

At No. 4 singles, Anderson knocked off Chris D'Agostino 6-3 in the opening set, but the Lion junior would capture 6-2 wins in the second and third to pick up the win. Tiebreaks were necessary at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, as freshman Jeremy Auh battled at the fifth spot. Auh fell 6-1 in the first set, but turned the tables on his opponent Tim Gavornik to knot the match at a set apiece after a 6-1 win. In the third set, Auh and Gavornik each wouldn't budge, going to a tiebreak at 6-6. In the breaker, Gavornik was able to capture the triumph with a score of 10-6. 

For the second straight weekend, Luckmann engaged in a marathon match, going to three sets and a tiebreaker Sunday. Luckman fell 7-5 in the opening game, but charged back with a 6-4 win in the second. The third set needed extra points, and Stanley would pull out the win with a 10-8 tally in the breaker. 

VC will head to the West Coast for their next six matches, battling No. 31 Trinity College (CT) at Claremont-Mudd-Scripts on Monday, March 13 at 9 a.m. PST, before turning around later that day to take on No. 10 Case Western Reserve University at 1 p.m. PST less than a half mile away at Pomona College. 

The College of New Jersey 8, Vassar College 1

 Singles competition
1. Mitchel Sanders (TCNJM) def. Nick Litsky (VCMT) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
2. Jack August (TCNJM) def. Allen Sokolov (VCMT) 6-3, 6-3
3. Omar Bokhari (TCNJM) def. Juan Felipe Laso (VCMT) 6-4, 6-4
4. Chris D'Agostino (TCNJM) def. Jamie Anderson (VCMT) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
5. Tim Gavornik (TCNJM) def. Jeremy Auh (VCMT) 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (10-6)
6. Mike Stanley (TCNJM) def. Alexander Luckmann (VCMT) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10-8)

 Doubles competition
1. Juan Felipe Laso/Alexander Luckmann (VCMT) def. Mitchel Sanders/Mike Stanley (TCNJM) 8-3
2. Jack August/Chris D'Agostino (TCNJM) def. Allen Sokolov/Jeremy Auh (VCMT) 8-6
3. Matt Puig/Tim Gavornik (TCNJM) def. Nick Litsky/Jamie Anderson (VCMT) 8-6

Match Notes:
Vassar College 5-3
The College of New Jersey 3-0; Regional ranking #13