St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Bryant
St. John’s Set to Open Spring Season With Three Matches This Week
1/22/2024 9:51:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Red Storm will face Bryant, Quinnipiac and LIU in consecutive days
The St. John's men's tennis team will open its spring schedule this week with three home matches in three days, beginning on Tuesday against Bryant at 11 a.m. at Cunningham Park in Queens. On Wednesday, the Red Storm make its 2024 debut at the USTA National Tennis Center against Quinnipiac at 1 p.m. before returning to Cunningham Park for a noon tilt with LIU on Thursday.
"The team is fired up to start tomorrow against a very good Bryant squad," said Head Coach Dillon Pottish. "I know they can't wait to compete."
Tuesday's season opener will mark the fifth meeting between the Red Storm and Bryant since 2010, with the Johnnies winning the previous four matches. The two squads last faced off on Feb. 16, 2020, with St. John's coming away with a 4-1 win.
The Bulldogs arrive to Queens with a 1-1 record on the young season after beating Nichols, 7-0, on Saturday before losing at No.10 Harvard, 6-0, on Sunday.
Wednesday's match against Quinnipiac marks the fourth straight season the two programs have faced off. Last year, the Red Storm beat the Bobcats, 6-1, on Jan. 26, 2023. Wednesday's match will mark the start of the season for Quinnipiac following a 10-win season in 2023.
The Red Storm and the Sharks have matched up each of the last two seasons, with St. John's emerging victorious on both occasions. Last season against LIU, Adam Groves and Ryota Kaneda teamed up for a doubles win while Carl Gustavsson won his singles match, helping the Johnnies to a 6-1 victory.
Pottish enters the 2024 season with a roster that features three returning players from the squad that won the program's seventh BIG EAST Championship in 2023, highlighted by Gustavsson who was named a First-Team All-BIG EAST selection a season ago. The roster features eight newcomers, including former Idaho standout Francisco Bascon, who was named Big Sky Most Valuable Player in 2023 and 2021.
After this week's matches, the Red Storm will head to Ithaca, N.Y., for a 1 p.m. contest against Cornell on Sunday, Jan. 21.
