TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - Third-seeded Saint Vincent College and fourth-seeded Franciscan University opened the 2024 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament Tuesday with quarterfinal victories and advanced to the conference semifinals Thursday. 

Both higher seeds won on their home courts Tuesday, starting with Saint Vincent (15-6) claiming a pair of tightly contested doubles matches to carry a 2-1 lead into singles against sixth-seeded Geneva College (7-6). Following wins at second (8-5) and third (8-6) doubles, the Bearcats would post victories at third and sixth singles to get within a win of advancing. The clinching decision came at fifth singles, where junior Jack Citrone (York, Pa./West York) was a 6-1, 6-3 winner to send Saint Vincent to the semifinals for the fifth consecutive season.

The fourth-seed Franciscan (8-10) swept through visiting fifth-seed Washington & Jefferson College (7-10) for a 5-0 win in the other quarterfinal. After three wins in doubles, the Barons put the match away with triumphs by junior Travis Mistry (Groves, Texas/Sabine Pass) at #1 singles (6-3, 6-0) and freshman Aaron Heilein (Erie, Pa./McDowell) at #2 singles (6-0, 6-0) to reach the PAC semifinals for the fourth straight year.

Top-seeded Allegheny College (13-5, 8-0 PAC) and No. 2 Grove City College (12-6, 7-1 PAC) received quarterfinal byes and will host semifinal matches on Thursday. The first-seed and defending champion Gators will take on Franciscan in a 4 p.m. match in Meadville, while the Wolverines will host Saint Vincent in Grove City in the other semifinal.

Both semifinals are rematches from regular season meetings contested on April 18th. Allegheny was an 8-1 winner at home over Franciscan and Grove City notched an 8-1 victory as well in Latrobe over the Bearcats.

The semifinal winners will play in the PAC Tournament Championship match on Saturday, April 27, with that match being hosted by the highest remaining seed. First serve will be at 1 p.m. for the title. All Tournament matches will use the nine-point team format with the first team to five (5) individual match wins moving forward.

The winner of the PAC Championship Tournament will receive the conference's automatic-qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. Team selections for the Division III Championships will be announced on Monday, May 6 with first-, second- and third-round matches slated for Friday-Sunday, May 10-12.
 

2024 PAC Men's Tennis Championship Tournament
Tuesday, April 23
4:30 p.m.	Quarterfinal	#4 Franciscan 5, #5 Washington & Jefferson 0	Steubenville, Ohio
4 p.m.	Quarterfinal	#3 Saint Vincent 5, #6 Geneva 2	Latrobe, Pa.
Thursday, April 25 Semifinal start times tentative
4 p.m.	Semifinal (1)	#4 Franciscan vs. #1 Allegheny	Meadville, Pa.
TBA	Semifinal (2)	#3 Saint Vincent vs. #2 Grove City	Grove City, Pa.
Saturday, April 27 Championship start time tentative
1 p.m.	Championship	Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. winner of Semifinal 2	Highest Seed