PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Villanova men's tennis team returns to action on Tuesday, March 31, traveling to face city rival Saint Joseph's at 2:00 p.m. in Philadelphia before taking on Rider in New Jersey on Wednesday, April 1.

The Wildcats will look to build momentum from strong individual performances in singles play, highlighted by victories from Thomas Wakefield and James Quincy Jones in the No. 5 and No. 6 positions. Wakefield battled through a competitive match to earn his point, while Jones delivered a composed and consistent performance.

At the top of the lineup, Cooper Gordon showed promise at No. 1 singles, pushing Bucknell's Amar Tahirovic to a first-set tiebreak before dropping the second set. The match provided valuable experience for Villanova against a deep and competitive opponent.

In doubles play, the Wildcats showed encouraging signs. The No. 1 pairing of Ethan Carr and Cooper Gordon nearly rallied from a 4-1 deficit before falling 7-5, while Kush Anand and Thomas Wakefield competed closely in a 6-3 decision at the No. 2 spot.

Saint Joseph's enters Tuesday's matchup with an 11-8 record and riding a four-match winning streak, with recent victories over NJIT, Lehigh, Bucknell, and Delaware. The Hawks have also faced a challenging schedule this season, with losses coming against Elon, Wake Forest, Oral Roberts, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Penn, and Navy.

Villanova will be looking for redemption after a 4-1 loss to Saint Joseph's in last season's meeting.

The Broncs are 4-6 on the season and have a 1-1 record in conference play. The four wins have come against Geroge Mason, Morgan State, Norfolk State, and Niagara. The last time the two teams faced each other, the Broncs secured the close 4-3 victory on April 2, 2025.