SPARTANBURG, S.C. – At the site where its 2016 season came to an end, the FGCU men's tennis team bounced back from a tough loss last week to defeat USC Upstate 4-3 Wednesday night. Just hours after arriving in Spartanburg, the Eagles (6-9, 2-1 ASUN) looked to a senior and a sophomore to lift them past the Spartans (5-12, 1-2 ASUN) to put FGCU back on the right track and in the process, keep the title hopes alive.

"Today was an incredibly dramatic match and both teams fought extremely hard," said head coach CJ Weber. "I was really proud of the guys for responding to adversity. After deciding to move the match up a day because of weather, we were forced to play the same day as our flight but based on how we played in singles you would never know."

Playing 24 hours prior to the originally scheduled start time due to expected rain in the area on Thursday, the Eagles stepped off the plane and vans and claimed a back-and-forth affair, where FGCU took its first lead when Andres Alfonzo (Hollywood, Fla./Florida Virtual School/Texas Christian University) claimed the match victory with a win at No. 3.

Alfonzo, who has battled injury all season long, defeated Ankush Arora 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to seal the victory after he and doubles partner Ezequiel Cerrini (Sunny Isles Beach, Fla./Homeschool) earned FGCU's lone doubles win at No. 2 earlier in the evening. Cerrini provided FGCU's first spark, initially tying the match to ensure FGCU stayed within striking distance.

"Game ball goes to Ezequiel today," Weber added. "We needed a quick point after losing doubles and he delivered just that. He led the team both vocally and physically, and the team followed."

Alfonzo's clinch was set up by singles victories from Cerrini, Felipe Ramirez (Armenia, Colombia/Florida Virtual School), and Mateo Ruiz (Bucaramanga, Colombia/Oklahoma State) after the Eagles fell behind 1-0 following doubles.

Austin Bates (Marietta, Ga./Pope HS) and Javier Fernandez (Ibiza, Spain/IES CTEIB) dropped a 6-2 decision to Arora and Francisco Neto at No. 3 doubles to begin the match, quickly followed by Alfonzo and Cerrini's victory at No. 2. With the double point on the line, a rare loss from the No. 1 pairing of Oliver Landert (Naples, Fla./Florida Virtual School/Florida) and Ramirez put FGCU behind 1-0.

Cerrini however evened up the match with a quick 6-4, 6-1 victory over Fernando Bernardes from the No. 4 position. Upstate's Igancio Jimenez then put the home side in front, defeating Fernandez 6-2, 7-5 at No. 5.

In his third match at No. 1, Ramirez again brought FGCU level, recording a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Felix Ewers but once again the Spartans responded. Bates, another Eagles battling injury, fell to Neto 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 to put USC Upstate on the verge of clinching.

Last season, Lenhard Haupt ended FGCU's season with a match-clinching win in the ASUN semifinals but Ruiz got the better of Haupt on the night, winning a dramatic three-set match 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 to even the score at 3-3.

The next point recorded would be the final as Alfonzo followed Ruiz's win with a 6-4 win in the third set, claiming the victory on deuce point and securing FGCU's 4-3 win on the night. The win was just Alfonzo's second win during a shortened spring season for the senior.

UP NEXT
The Eagles travel to Newark to face NJIT as conference play continues. FGCU and NJIT are set to meet Saturday at 2 p.m.

FULL RESULTS
DOUBLES
1) Bernardes/Garrido (UPST) def. Landert/Ramirez (FGCU) 7-6
2) Alfonzo/Cerrini (FGCU) def. Ewers/Haupt (UPST) 6-3
3) Arora/Neto (UPST) def. Bates/Fernandez (FGCU) 6-2
SINGLES
1) Ramirez (FGCU) def. Ewers (UPST) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
2) Ruiz (FGCU) def. Haupt (UPST) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
3) Alfonzo (FGCU) def. Arora (UPST) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
4) Cerrini (FGCU) def. Bernardez (UPST) 6-4, 6-1
5) Garrido (UPST) def. Fernandez (FGCU) 6-2, 7-5
6) Neto (UPST) def. Bates (FGCU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
Order of Finish: Doubles (3, 2, 1), Singles (4, 5, 1, 6, 2, 3)

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 70-52 (.600) overall record and a 28-12 (.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
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#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.