NEW HAVEN, Connecticut - The Marist men's tennis team kicked off play at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) regional tournament Wednesday afternoon, as Gianlucca Massa and Lars Schouten both played in the qualifying singles round. The Red Foxes played competition from Hofstra, Fairfield, and Dartmouth needing two wins each to advance to the main draw.

Schouten dropped his opening match in a three set battle against Coco Haner from Hofstra. After losing the first set 6-4, Schouten bounced back with a 6-4 win of his own in the second set. Haener was able to clinch the hard-fought match with a 6-4 win in the final set.

Massa took care of business in his first match, defeating Anthony Caputo from Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foe Fairfield. Massa's match also went three sets as he won the first set 6-2 before dropping the second, 5-7. Massa put Caputo away with a decisive 6-2 win in the third and final set. 

Needing one more win to move on to the main draw, Massa then took on Dartmouth's Roko Glasnovic. Massa took the first set from Dartmouth's rep but fell 6-2, 6-4 in the second and third.

Tomorrow the main draw singles and doubles for the ITA regional tournament will take place. In the main draw, Rudolf Kurz will take on Binghamton's Kushaan Nath and Javier Restrepo will take on Justin Warren from the University of Connecticut. In main draw doubles, Kurz and Christopher Gladden will face off against Dartmouth's Martin and Horneffer while Restrepo and Schouten have a bye until the second round of doubles action.