LATROBE, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College men's tennis team (5-10, 4-3) falls in a 4-3 battle to the Saint Vincent Bearcats (13-4, 4-2) in a crucial match for Presidents' Athletic Conference playoff position.
 
The Presidents got off to a hot start in doubles as the junior tandem of Jacob Bennett (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) and Nick Bussard (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) set the tone with a 6-1 win at the No. 2 position. The Bearcats responded, however, and took the final two doubles matches.
 
The doubles point proved to be the difference as the two teams split the six singles matches. Senior captain Nate Clarke (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) got the Presidents on the board with a 6-2, 6-0 win at the No. 4 position. Senior captain Jackson Akers (Logan, W. Va./Logan) put the dual back in a deadlock when he secured a 6-2, 6-4, straight sets victory at No. 2 singles.
 
The Bearcats took the next two singles matches to secure the overall dual win. Bussard picked up a consolation point by fighting from a set down to force a third set.
 
The Presidents return to the Janet Swanson Tennis Center on Saturday (April 18) when they play host to the conference-leading Allegheny Gators. Doubles matches are slated to begin at 10:00 a.m. to close out the 2026 regular season.