PURCHASE, N.Y. – The No. 2 seed Yeshiva University men's tennis team went toe-to-toe against the No. 1 seed Manhattanville College Valiants, in the Skyline Conference Championship match, at the Manhattanville Tennis Courts on Sunday afternoon. In a thrilling contest that came down to the final point, the Maccabees just fell short to the Valiants by a score of 5-4. Manhattanville earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Yeshiva (9-5) won two out of three doubles flights, but Manhattanville (13-5) went 4-2 in singles play to clinch the championship.

With the match tied, 4-4, it came down to the No. 5 singles flight. Senior Eitan Jeselsohn won the first set at the fifth position for the Maccabees in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (2). However, senior Nick Schlapak won the next two sets, 6-4, 6-4, to send his team to the NCAA Tournament.

"It was a hard end to the season," Yeshiva University Head Coach Jon Rubinstein said. "We were so close to defeating the top seed today. Lots of very close matches that could have gone either way. Unfortunately, today wasn't our day. But I want to thank all the fans for coming, especially our former captains Adam Rosemblaum ('18) and Lior Brik ('20). It made for an energy-filled thriller."

The Maccabees opened the afternoon with a loss at No. 2 doubles, 8-3. YU answered in the next flight as senior Aaron Cohen and graduate student Tomer Mendler won the first position, 8-2. Then, junior Yoni Mayer and senior Leon Bassan earned an 8-4 triumph at No. 3 doubles to put YU ahead, 2-1, heading into singles play.

After the Valiants claimed No. 6 singles, Cohen dominated at the second court, 6-4, 6-1, to put the Macs ahead by a score of 3-2. Manhattanville was victorious at No. 3 and No. 4 singles to go up, 4-3, in the championship battle. However, Mendler had a strong match at the first position by claiming the win, 7-5, 6-4, to even the contest at four points apiece. Then, it came down to No. 5 singles where Schlapak won the rubber set to clinch the championship, an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, and an undefeated season against conference opponents for Manhattanville.

Manhattanville junior Luis Gonzalez was named Most Outstanding Player of the Skyline Championship match after winning at No. 3 singles and teaming with graduate student Ryan Rosenberg to win at No. 2 doubles.

The Yeshiva University Athletics Department congratulates the men's tennis program's graduating seniors, Cohen, Mendler, Bassan, Michael Froehlich, and Aaron Singer on their successful collegiate tennis careers. 

The men's tennis team will return to the courts in the 2022-23 season.