NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The quest for back-to-back regular season titles begins Thursday for the FGCU men's tennis team. The Eagles (10-5) start their title defense against the Lipscomb Bisons in Nashville Thursday at 2 p.m. before travelling to Kennesaw State Saturday for a 4 p.m. match.

The Eagles have been transformed since head coach CJ Weber took over in 2011-2012. The Green and Blue went from 1-9 in the Atlantic Sun to 4-5, jumping from 10th to seventh in the standings. The improvements came drastically as FGCU earned a 4-4 mark in conference play in the 2012-13 season before tallying six wins in 2013-14. The transformation culminated in an historic 2015-16 season –  a perfect 6-0 A-Sun record, the program's first NCAA tournament appearance and a No. 75 ranking to end the season.

The 2015-16 Eagles have climbed into the top 75 on two occasions, utilizing an 11-match home winning streak to guide the team to a 10-5 record. In addition to its success at home over the past two seasons (13-1), FGCU has won 12 consecutive A-Sun matches dating back to the 2013-14 season. The Eagles dropped its first two conference duals that year, but finished with a 6-2 mark en route to a third-place finish.

LAST TIME OUT
FGCU had its run of home wins put in jeopardy against Texas-San Antonio Tuesday (March 15). The Eagles dropped the doubles point and later trailed 3-2 in the overall match but came from behind to claim a 4-3 win.

The drama began from the very first singles point, with an Eduardo Alfonzo (Hollywood, Fla./Barry University) 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 3 singles. Ezequiel Cerrini (Sunny Isles Beach, Fla./Homeschool) then put the Eagles in front with a 6-2, 7-5 win at No. 2 in his first appearance at that position.

But FGCU would trail once again following losses at No. 1 and No. 6 singles with only two matches remaining. Javier Fernandez (Ibiza, Spain/IES CTEIB) fell behind 5-2 in his first set at No. 5 only to force a tiebreaker, which the freshman would win 7-6 (7-4). In the second set, Fernandez fought off a late rally to tie the overall match with a 6-4 win.

No sooner did Fernandez celebrate his win, Oliver Landert (Naples, Fla./Florida Virtual School/Florida) joined in the celebrations winning his third set 6-2 to give FGCU the 4-3 win.

SCOUTING THE BISONS
Lipscomb has won three-in-a-row to bring its overall record to 6-6 in 2016 including a 5-3 mark in Nashville. Rob Mitchell has been the top performer for Lipscomb this season, winning seven-straight matches at No. 1 for a 7-3 record. Alejandro Manzanares has compiled a 6-5 record at No. 2 while Philippe Courteau enters the weekend 6-4.

The Bisons have tried multiple pairings at each position during doubles play. Manzanares and Mitchell are 2-0 in No. 1 doubles, one of three pairings used at the top spot. At No. 2 doubles, both Corteau and Thais Minet as well as Mitchell and John Tougher have posted 2-0 records.

Lipscomb previously lost to Tennessee Tech, a team FGCU defeated 5-2 on Feb. 12. The Eagles are 5-3 all-time against the Bisons, including a 6-1 win over Lipscomb last season in Southwest Florida.

SCOUTING THE OWLS
Kennesaw State has lost its last two matches, running its overall record to 8-4. Part of the Owls' success comes from a strong home performance, resulting in a 4-2 mark in Kennesaw, Ga. Simon Pritchard has stumbled recently, but brings a 6-5 record into the weekend. At No. 2, Manuel Castellanos and David Durham have split time, both with .500 or better records. Not only has Durhman been a solid No. 2 player, he has also been flawless through four matches at No. 3.

In doubles, Durham and Drew Wendel have compiled a 5-2 record including a 3-3 mark at No. 1. Meanwhile Castellanos and Simon Pritchard have posted two wins from both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Pritchard and Simon Wilton have seen the most action at No. 2 doubles with a 3-1 record.

The last time Kennesaw State was in action, the Owls lost 4-2 to Georgia Southern. FGCU is 5-2 all-time against Kennesaw State, having won three-consecutive matches. Last year, the Eagles came away with a 5-2 win.

UP NEXT
The Eagles welcome two A-Sun opponents to Fort Myers from March 31 to April 2. FGCU plays NJIT on Thursday, March 31 at 2 p.m. before facing USC Upstate Saturday, April 2.

FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of FGCU men's tennis follow us on Twitter @FGCU_MTEN and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available at the end of each day of competition.
 
CJ WEBER
FGCU is led by CJ Weber who has coached 16 A-Sun All-Conference selections since joining the Green and Blue in 2011. In his fifth year, Weber has compiled a 58-41 (.586) overall record and a 20-11 (.645) record in A-Sun play. In 2014-15, Weber guided the Eagles to their first-ever Atlantic Sun Championship and first-ever Atlantic Sun Regular Season title after a program-best 17 wins. In his third season, Weber led Jordi Vives to a No. 35 national ranking, a nation-leading 14-match unbeaten streak and the round of 32 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament - the program's first appearance.
 
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.