PURCHASE, N.Y. — In the team's first season since reinstatement, the Manhattanville College men's tennis team advanced to the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Championship, defeating DeSales University 5-1 Tuesday, April 30 at the Manhattanville Tennis Courts.

The team of junior Juan Huertas (Bogotá, Colombia/La Salle (H.S.) (Calif.)) and sophomore Jan Senkerik (Zlin, Czech Republic/The Hill Academy) got the Valiants started off with an 8-1 win in first doubles, followed by an 8-3 victory in second doubles for the freshman duo of Alvaro de la Plaza (Malaga, Spain/Homeschooled (Laurel Springs, Calif.)) and Dylan Crowley (Pelham, N.Y./Pelham Memorial). Junior Alex Fleischman (Riverside, Conn./King) and senior Soya Goto (Rye, N.Y./Rye) fell 7-8 in third doubles, giving Manhattanville a 2-1 lead after doubles play.

de la Plaza kept things rolling for the Valiants in third singles competition, picking up a 6-0, 6-3 victory in third singles, followed by a 6-0, 6-2 win for Senkerik in second doubles. Fleischman won a straight-set matchup as well in fourth singles (6-4, 6-0), giving the team the five wins needed to clinch the match.

The Valiants will now travel to Wilkes-Barre, Pa. to take on top-seeded Wilkes University for the MAC Freedom Championship Saturday, May 4. The start time for Saturday's match is TBD.