FORT MYERS, Fla. – A pair of opportunities to earn the first win of the decade await the FGCU men's tennis team, as the Eagles are scheduled to host Georgia Southern and Florida A&M at the FGCU Tennis Complex this weekend. FGCU will begin the two-match swing at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17 against Georgia Southern. The following day, the Eagles will return to the Nest to take on FAMU at 5 p.m. (Saturday, Jan 18).
FGCU (0-1) is coming off a season-opening loss to a USF team that advanced to the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament. While the Bulls earned the early advantage by clinching the doubles point, the match featuring the senior duo of
Feliksas Sakalauskas (Palanga, Lithuania/Virginia Tech) and
Felipe Ramirez was tied at 4-4 on the first court. In singles play, both
Ramirez (Armenia, Colombia/Florida Virtual School) and classmate
Marcelo Tebet (Londrina, Brazil/Colegio Anglo American) battled into three sets against their opponents, but ultimately dropped their respective matches.
The Eagles enter this weekend with all-time advantages over both the Statesboro Eagles and the Rattlers. FGCU holds a 4-2 edge against Georgia Southern and owns a 7-3 all-time lead in the history with FAMU.
Georgia Southern (0-2) will travel to Fort Myers also in search of its first win of 2020. The Eagles dropped their season-opening double-header at Georgia Tech. In the first match, the Yellow Jackets swept Georgia Southern 7-0. Later that day, they earned another victory by a score of 4-0. Last season, the Eagles went 15-11 and posted a 2-5 mark in Sun Belt Conference play.
The Rattlers (0-4) are also winless on the season, having fallen to Louisiana Lafayette, FAU and Florida State. FAMU has played the Ragin' Cajuns twice and dropped both matches 4-0. Both Florida State and FAU also swept the Rattlers 4-0. FAMU has not beaten FGCU since the 2012 season and its largest margin of victory over the Eagles was a 7-0 sweep back in 2009. In the most recent meeting between the teams (2018), the Green and Blue earned a 6-1 victory in Fort Myers.
For complete coverage of FGCU men's tennis, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_MTen and online at
www.FGCUAthletics.com.
CJ WEBER
FGCU is led by three-time ASUN Coach of the Year CJ Weber,
who has coached 32 ASUN All-Conference selections since joining the Green and Blue in 2011. In his seventh year, Weber has compiled a 93-78 (.543) overall record and a 38-18 (.672) record in ASUN play. In 2014-15, Weber guided the Eagles to their first-ever ASUN Championship and first-ever ASUN 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 a perfect ASUN regular season in both 2015 and 2016, finishing with conference titles as well as a Coach of the Year honor for Weber. FGCU again won the 2017 ASUN Championship and made its second NCAA appearance. The Eagles returned to the mountaintop by claiming the 2019 regular season and tournament championships. Weber earned his third ASUN Coach of the Year honor and led the Green and Blue to their third trip to the NCAA Tournament.
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April 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.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 80 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just eight seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty consecutive semesters. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
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