BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The University of Delaware men’s tennis team prevailed in two lengthy doubles battles to claim the first point, and then captured five of six singles matches to earn a 6-1 non-league victory over host Lehigh inside the Lewis Tennis Center.

The Blue Hens imprvoe to 1-2 in the Spring season, and 3-2 for the 2008-09 season.

Delaware got off to a rough start as junior Austin Longacre and senior Nolan Greenberg dropped the No. 1 doubles match by a score of 8-6 to Lehigh’s Collin Laffey andTroy List. Longacre and Greenberg are now 6-3 for the season in doubles play.

In No. 2 and No. 3 doubles play, both Blue Hen teams won their first set only to have Lehigh rally back and force a tiebreaker. At No. 2 doubles, Delaware’s Chris Hincker (at right) and Courtney Scott won the tiebreaker 7-5 over sophomores Cameron Silbert and Arnaldo Pacheco, while at No. 3 doubles Andre Vorobyov and Camilo Perez prevailed 9-8 after winning the tiebreak 7-0.

In singles play, Delaware extended its lead as sophomore Chris Hincker and junior Sam Barrer won at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively.

Laffey put Lehigh on the scoreboard with a 6-4, 6-3 win over freshman Andre Vorobyov at second singles, but the Blue Hens clinched the match when Longacre outlasted List in three sets at No. 1 singles. Delaware then added straight set wins at the bottom two singles flights by freshman Courtney Scott and sophomore Nick Piacente.

AGATE

Delaware 6, Lehigh 1
Doubles
1. List/Laffey (LU) def. Longacre/Greenberg (UD) 8-6
2. Hincker/Scott (UD) def. Silbert/Pacheco (LU) 9-8
3. Vorobyov/Perez (UD) def. Rauza/Collins (LU) 9-8

Singles
1. Austin Longacre (UD) def. Troy List (LU) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
2. Collin Laffey (LU) def. Andre Vorobyov (UD) 6-4, 6-3
3. Chris Hincker (UD) def. Edgars Rauza (LU) 6-2, 6-1
4. Sam Barrer (UD) def. Chris Collins (LU) 7-5, 6-1
5. Courtney Scott (UD) def. Cameron Silbert (LU) 7-5, 6-4
6. Nick Piacente (UD) def. Arnaldo Pacheco (LU) 6-3, 6-2