Steubenville, Ohio - The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released the Preseason Coaches' Poll for Men's Tennis on Friday. Franciscan was picked to finish fourth after placing third a season ago. 
 

2026 PAC Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll
School (first-place votes)	Points	2024-25 Records
1. Allegheny (8)	64	21-7, 8-0 PAC
2. Grove City (1)	56	11-5, 7-1 PAC
3. Saint Vincent	46	16-5, 5-3 PAC
4. Franciscan	44	10-7, 6-2 PAC
5. W&J	36	8-11, 4-4 PAC
6. Westminster	28	5-8, 3-5 PAC
7. Geneva	27	4-10, 2-6 PAC
8. Waynesburg	15	2-9, 1-7 PAC
9. Thiel	8	0-12, 0-8 PAC

 

Last Season in Review
The Barons won 10 matches last season for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Their 6-2 PAC record gave them the #3 seed and the right to host a Quarterfinal. They swept #6 Westminster 4-0, but then fell to #2 Grove City in the Semifinal by that same score. Seven Barons earned All-PAC recognition. Aaron Heinlein led the way by being named First Team All-PAC in singles and doubles. Aidan Palladino was named First Team in singles and Second Team in doubles, and he was the lone Baron lost to graduation from a season ago. 

Players to Watch
Franciscan had three players listed as Players to Watch for the upcoming season. 

Aaron Heinlein (Jr. Erie, Pa. / McDowell) played primarily at the #2 singles spot a season ago, where he held a 9-5 mark. He went 6-1 in PAC singles, including wins in his last five matches. With Palladino graduating, he is set to make the jump to #1 singles. He has not seen the court this season, as he studied abroad in Austria in the fall, but the 4x First Team All-PAC player will be ready to go. 

Christopher Yvars (Jr. Bow, N.H. / Bow) was dominant a season ago in singles. He led the team with 12 wins, with 10 coming from his primary spot at #4. He, like Heinlein, ended the season with some of his best play by winning his last four matches. 

Heinlein and Yvars combined to have a 12-7 mark in doubles, including a 7-1 PAC record. Seven of their matches came at the #2 spot before they took the #1 spot. They will likely be the #1 pair of the Barons once again in 2026. 

Esteban Webber-Bernal (Fr. Roseburg, Ore. / Roseburg) is a new face, but he has already proved his talents last fall. He won in singles and doubles against Pitt.-Greensburg in the Barons' victory. He also held his own against Division II West Liberty. He is set to be a major contributor for the Barons in 2026. 

The Favorites
Allegheny earned eight of the nine first-place votes, as the reigning champions were picked to repeat. Grove City earned one first-place vote to sit in second, and Saint Vincent just edged out the Barons in third.

Up Next
The Barons played a pair of matches in the fall and are entering the spring with a 1-1 record. Their next match will be at Mount Union on February 13th. The Barons are 2-8 all-time against the Purple Raiders, but they beat them by a score of 4-3 last season indoors at the Wheeling Tennis Center. Mount Union won the doubles point, but Aaron Heinlein, Christopher Yvars, David Drejza, and Michael Nolan came through with singles wins to secure the team win. 

Stay Connected 
Be sure to follow Franciscan Athletics on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage.