SPARTANTBURG, S.C. – While the task is tougher, the objective remains the same for the FGCU men's tennis team. Following the program's first conference loss during the regular season since 2014, the Eagles hit the road for the first time in ASUN play, meeting USC Upstate and NJIT this weekend.

The Eagles first task is a rematch of the 2016 ASUN semifinals on March 29 against the Spartans, who upset the Green and Blue 4-3. The Green and Blue were originally scheduled to face Upstate on Thursday, but with heavy amounts of rain expected in the area, the match was moved up. FGCU then heads north to Newark to face NJIT April 1 to conclude the weekend.

THE GREEN AND BLUE
FGCU split two matches to open ASUN play last weekend. The Eagles came from 1-0 down after doubles to win 5-2 at Stetson to mark the opening of conference action. Wins from Javier Fernandez (Ibiza, Spain/IES CTEIB) and Ezequiel Cerrini (Sunny Isles Beach, Fla./Homeschool) quickly reversed the deficit into a 2-1 lead for FGCU with four matches remaining.

After winning his first set, Austin Bates (Marietta, Ga./Pope HS) went down 0-5 in his second with the remaining three courts destined for third sets. Bates went on to win the next seven games, claiming a 7-5 win in his second set and giving FGCU a commanding 3-1 lead.

Saturday featured a match between the regular season champions and the tournament champions with FGCU hosting UNF at The Nest. The Eagles trailed 1-0 again after the doubles point but were unable to come back, falling 6-1 to the Ospreys.

THE STREAK ENDS, A NEW ONE BEGINS
With Saturday's loss to UNF, FGCU's 19-match conference winning streak came to an end. What started in 2014 resulted in two regular season titles and an 19-1 record from March 15, 2014 to March 25, 2017 – a total of 745 days.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
In a rematch of the 2016 ASUN semifinals, the Eagles and Spartans are set to meet for the 12th time Wednesday. USC Upstate comes into the week with a 5-11 record overall and a 1-1 mark in ASUN play. The Spartans sport a winning record at the No. 5 spot in the lineup but are .500 or worse at every other position. Felix Ewers has earned the most matches at the top spot, entering the week with a 6-9 record while Lenhard Haupt is 5-4 at No. 2.

Doubles has also been a concern for USC Upstate with the top pairing of Fernando Bernardes and Ignacio Garrido carrying a 2-6 record through eight matches.

With Upstate's 4-3 victory over FGCU in the ASUN semifinals, the Spartans hold a 6-5 lead in the all-time series, breaking FGCU's five-match winning streak over the Spartans.

SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
NJIT comes into the second week of ASUN play with a 6-9 overall record and an 0-2 mark in conference action. The middle four spots in the lineup have been the most successful for the Highlanders, Following a combined 3-11 record at No. 1, Jan Cimrman's 4-3 mark at No. 2 has helped NJIT post a 7-7 record at No. 2. From there, the Highlanders have a combined 23-19 record from No. 3 to No. 5.

Cimrman and Aleska Petrovic are 2-6 at No. 1 doubles while Pablo Arrutia and Richard Rangga are 6-4 at No. 3.

FGCU is 2-1 against NJIT all-time, including a 6-1 victory last season in Fort Myers.

UP NEXT
The Eagles wrap up ASUN play with two home matches. FGCU welcomes Kennesaw State (April 6) and Lipscomb (April 8) to The Nest as the Eagles continue their quest for a third consecutive ASUN title.

CJ WEBER
FGCU is led by CJ Weber who has coached 23 ASUN All-Conference selections since joining the Green and Blue in 2011. In his fifth year, Weber has compiled a 69-52 (.600) overall record and a 27-12 (.694) record in ASUN 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. The Eagles completed consecutive perfect ASUN seasons in 2016 and back-to-back conference titles as well as a second-straight Coach of the Year honor for Weber.
 
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.
 
#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.