Houghton men's tennis was able to achieve a significant conference upset against entrenched number one team Stevens Institute of Technology with a 5-4 win on Saturday. Houghton's victory ends nearly a decade-long 66 match win streak for Stevens in the Empire 8, a team that has not lost an in-season conference matchup since 2010.

The Highlanders came out strong in doubles. Number one pair Louis-Guillaume Garcia and Jake Fisler started the team off with a commanding defeat of Steven's pair, Sifuentes and Morris. The determined play and domination of the net kept their opponents from gaining much ground, affording them a well-earned 8-2 victory. Houghton's second win came from the number three doubles pair Ethan Yung and Ethan Baker, who were able to stay steady in a pro-set tie breaker to take the win 8-7(5). Houghton's number two doubles team, Zach Shilvock and Dylan Scherer, played a competitive match but were just edged out by Steven's Kincaid and Pabalan, who won the match 8-6.

"The guys played excellent doubles today! Everyone came out playing hard from the first game, staying focused and aggressive throughout. They did a great job of commanding the net and getting the ball low. First doubles really got us started off on a good foot with their win and their energy. Then third doubles came in to take the second win and set us up to go into singles with the advantage." Says Head Coach Tonya McGraner

The Highlanders led the overall score 2-1 going into singles. First off the court was Junior Jake Fisler who broke serve to take the first set 7-5, followed by a hold in the second to secure the match 7-5, 6-3. Ethan Yung and Matt Cicero secured the remaining two wins for the Highlander victory. Yung won his match 6-3, 6-4. Freshman Matthew Cicero maintained a controlling lead in his match. Smart play and consistency saw Cicero finishing with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Brian Li, to clinch the match for the Highlanders.

Coach McGraner commented - "What a great day for our men's tennis program. I think this just goes to show that we really have the talent and ability to be a top competitor. Stevens is, as always, an exceptional team. So this was a huge win for our guys. I know it means a lot to us all as they've been working hard for this victory, and building up to this moment, for years now. It's a great group of guys and they certainly deserve this. They went out today, wanted the victory, and they worked hard to get it! I'm extremely proud of them."

"It was a total team effort, we had a lot of positive energy and we really believed that we could win" – Men's Team Captains (Zach Shilvock and Jake Fisler)

Athletic Director Matthew Webb – "It's noticeable that the teams have been working on their doubles net play, something that really showed today. This is a huge win for Houghton. I'm very proud of the team and Coach McGraner for today's efforts."

The Highlanders return to play away against conference team Alfred University on Wednesday at 4:00 pm.