Contributed/ETSU Athletics

As the fall tennis season begins and gains momentum, the ETSU Men’s Tennis team hit the courts at the Elon Invitational this weekend. It was held in Elon, North Carolina, from September 12-14. This event featured a field of competitive programs from all corners of the Southeast, providing the Buccaneers with an early-season test and valuable individual match play experience. 

The Elon Invitational is most well known for its round-robin format, giving the players a chance to compete in multiple doubles and singles matches over the weekend. For the Bucs, who continue to build a legacy of success in the Southern Conference, the tournament provided a chance for those returning to sharpen their form and for new talent on the roster to gain valuable collegiate match exposure.

ETSU’s outing at the 2025 Elon Invitational was a mixed but mostly encouraging performance. Though they didn’t emerge as champions in the top flights, there were several players who stood out.

Francisco Lamas and Pedro Cressoni both advanced in singles draws past the first rounds with Cressoni pushing through a tight three-set battle that tested his endurance. The doubles team, featuring Lamas alongside sophomore Juan Listo had one of the weekend’s best performances, winning many critical matches and showing impressive composure under the pressure.

The Buccaneers’ ability to take the doubles point in key matches paid dividends, even in contests that they ultimately dropped. Importantly, several newcomers– freshman and redshirt players alike– got valuable match play versus seasoned opponents, showing flashes of promise and helping ETSU build the depth they will need for the rest of the season.

While there were still gaps, particularly in finishing out tight second sets and minimizing errors in big moments, the invitational still gave the Bucs strong takeaways. Their doubles are solid, the singles line has great potential, and with continued training and consistency they can turn close matches in their favor as the season progresses.  

The Bucs next matchup will be at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Sept. 20.

 

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