HOUGHTON, NY - The Alfred University men's tennis team began their spring season with a 9-0 loss to Grove City College on Saturday. 

"We didn't get the result we were looking for, but there was a lot of great tennis today," Head Coach Jordan Crouch said. "Grove City is a strong program and Coach Horner does a great job with his group. There were a lot of positives to take from today. I thought our on-court effort was good and I think we served well as a whole. There is a lot to learn from our first match, but I'm proud of our group. I can't wait to practice again as we prepare for SUNY Delhi next weekend. Go Saxons!"

The Saxons (0-1, 0-0 Empire 8) saw a competitive effort from Matthew Bittel (Wellsville, NY/Wellsville) and Mike Roberts (Alfred Station, NY/Alfred-Almond) in No. 2 doubles, as they picked up four points. 

In singles play, Breece Erickson (Goshen, IN/Bethany Christian) played well from the No. 2 position, winning the initial set in 6-1 fashion. Rodrigo Perez (Pelencia, Spain/IES Victorio Macho) played from No. 6 singles in his debut with the Saxons, forcing three total sets after winning the first set by a 6-4 score. 

Alfred University will next host SUNY Delhi next Saturday at 6:00 PM.