BETHANY, W. Va. – In a last-minute scheduling change for the Franciscan University men's tennis team, the Barons traveled to Bethany College with a roster of only six players to play a match that was supposed to be played on March 30. The light roster did not affect the men, however, as the Barons beat the Bison, 7-2.

“Everyone had to step up,” head coach Jeremy Ellis said about the updated schedule and depleted roster. “The guys are always excited to play and we are deep enough where we have the flexibility to play at anytime.”

While having just 24-hours worth of preparation for the match, the multi-purpose courts at the Bison's facility provided an extra obstacle for the Barons.

“It took a while for us to get acclimated to them,” Ellis said. “When the ball hits the floor it likes to skid. It requires faster reflexes then a normal tennis floor.”

Junior Jack Bruce had no problem with the abbreviated schedule or facility. Bruce won both of his singles matches 6-4 and 6-2.

“Jack played really well,” Ellis said. “He is one of those players that returns a lot of balls and waits for his opponent to miss.”

Bruce held his own against his consistent competitor and set the example for the rest of his team. He accredited his strong day to an unlikely source.

“The reason I won was because I started lobbing the ball just like my mom taught me,” Bruce said. “My backhand was also really strong and I was putting my shots down the line and putting them away.”

The Barons will have 10 days to celebrate Easter and prepare for a three-day road trip that will end with conference rival Penn State-Behrend. Franciscan's next competition will be against Allegheny College on April 5.