April 19, 2007

Midland, Mich. - The Mercyhurst men's tennis team will be looking to shake up the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this weekend and possibly clinch a bid to the NCCA Playoffs as the Lakers take to the court for the GLIAC Tournament.

Mercyhurst, at 13-5 overall and 5-2 in conference play, is the No. 3 seed for the tournament and will play No. 6 seed Michigan Tech in the opening round Saturday morning. The Huskies are currently 7-14 overall and 2-4 in conference. Mercyhurst is currently ranked seventh in the region and the top eight teams advance to the NCAA Playoffs.

Mercyhurst swept Michigan Tech 9-0 the first time the two squads met, dropping just one set in singles play. The Lakers are led by the senior duo of Mariano Fava and Lee Michael Marnik.

Fava is ranked No. 13 in the region at No. 1 singles and went 5-2 in conference play at that spot. He beat Michigan Tech's Brett Girard 6-1, 6-1 the first time the pair met. Fava and Marnik also play No. 1 doubles together and are a lethal team. The pair is ranked No. 4 in the region, went undefeated in conference play, and has won 15 consecutive matches.

If the Lakers get through the opening round match, Mercyhurst will likely face No. 2 seed Grand Valley State, a squad that must get past No. 7 seed Findlay in the first round. Grand Valley State beat Mercyhurst 5-4 in a thrilling conference match earlier this year.

On the opposite side of the bracket sits top-seeded Northwood, a team that beat Mercyhurst 8-1 in conference play. Northwood is the No. 2 ranked team in the region and is No. 19 nationally.

Last year, Mercyhurst was the No. 5 seed at the GLIAC Tournament and finished sixth. All matches will be played at the Midland Community Tennis Center, hosted by Northwood.