FORT MYERS, Fla. – One year after making history, the FGCU men's tennis team repeated it in a 4-3 win over Stetson Saturday. Celebrating Senior Night against the only other undefeated team in the Atlantic Sun, the Eagles triumphed over the Hatters, securing their second-straight A-Sun regular season crown. FGCU finishes the regular season 16-5 and 6-0 in the Atlantic Sun while Stetson falls to 12-8 overall and 4-1 in the A-Sun.

"Today was a special day for the seniors," said head coach CJ Weber. "I'm really happy we got to honor their time and commitment to the entire FGCU family and I couldn't be more thankful for their everyday pursuit of success. Getting the win made the day that much more special and winning the regular season championship doesn't hurt either."

On a day commemorating years of dedication, the senior pairing of Ricky Ventura (Barcelona, Spain/University of Barcelona) and Lucas Vaz (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Fleming/Tulsa) were the first to celebrate a doubles win, defeating Simon Julin and Coilin MacNamara 6-2 at No. 2 doubles. With Andres Alfonzo (Hollywood, Fla./Texas Christian University) and Ezequiel Cerrini (Sunny Isles Beach, Fla./Homeschool) leading 4-3 at No. 1, senior Eduardo Alfonzo (Hollywood, Fla./Barry University) and freshman Javier Fernandez (Ibiza, Spain/IES CTEIB) secured the doubles point with a 6-3 win over Graham Ball and Pierre Fossier at No. 3.

"I'm sad today was my last match at FGCU but I'm so glad I had the opportunity to play here," Vaz said. "We have one of the best crowds and environments in the entire country. Now we have to focus on the conference tournament and be ready to protect another title."

When action restarted, it was Ventura again to celebrate first. The senior, playing in front of his parents who had traveled from Barcelona, won his match at No. 2 6-1, 6-4 over Laurynas Antropikas to give FGCU a 2-0 lead. Andres Alfonzo then secured his match 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1 over Loic Blanco, putting FGCU on the brink of victory.

"I've been looking forward to today's match," Ventura said. "Today was more than Senior Day; we won the regular season championship and my parents could come from Barcelona to see me play. I'm really proud of my teammates because of all the effort they put in on a daily basis. Now it's time to get ready for the Atlantic Sun Tournament."

The elder Alfonzo, Eduardo, faced a tough match at No. 4 against Ball, dropping the first set 6-3. Ball defeated Alfonzo 6-0 in the second, cutting FGCU's lead to 3-1.

"I have no words to describe my experience at FGCU; it's way better than I could have ever dreamed," Alfonzo said. "These courts will always have a very special place in my heart and I will have unforgettable memories of wearing that Eagle on my chest while competing. Winning a conference championship on Senior Day is something that only a few get the privilege to do. I'm very proud of the team and we will continue to work hard to achieve all of our goals. This is only a step in the right direction."

Fernandez had earned a 6-4 win against Julin in his first set at No. 5 and led 5-2 in his second set. With the excitement growing, Julin broke serve then held his own to bring the set to 5-4. Fernandez though held strong, breaking serve to claim a 6-4 second set win.

Cerrini struggled with cramping in the third set against Fossier and fell 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 and Vaz dropped a three-set match to MacNamara 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 at No. 6 as action concluded at the FGCU Tennis Complex.

UP NEXT
With the top-seed secured, the Eagles now await their competition in the semifinals of the A-Sun Championships. FGCU begins play in Spartanburg, S. C. Saturday, April, 23.

FULL RESULTS
DOUBLES
1) A. Alfonzo/Cerrini (FGCU) vs. Blanco/Antropikas (STET) DNF
2) Ventura/Vaz (FGCU) def. Julin/MacNamara (STET) 6-2
3) E. Alfonzo/Fernandez (FGCU) def. Ball/Fossier (STET) 6-3
SINGLES
1) A. Alfonzo (FGCU) def. Blanco (STET) 6-2, 6-3
2) Ventura (FGCU) def. Antropikas (STET) 6-1, 6-4
3) Fossier (STET) def. Cerrini (FGCU) 6-4, 0-6, 6-2
4) Ball (STET) def. E. Alfonzo (FGCU) 6-3, 6-0
5) Fernandez (FGCU) def. Julin (STET) 6-4, 6-4
6) MacNamara (STET) def. Vaz (FGCU 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
Order of Finish: Doubles (2, 3) Singles (2, 1, 4, 5, 3, 6)
 
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 64-41 (.605) overall record and a 26-11 (.694) 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.