ATLANTA – After a 2019 campaign in which it captured both the ASUN Regular Season and Tournament titles, the FGCU men's tennis team sits at the top of the league's preseason coaches' poll, as announced Tuesday morning.
The Eagles, who posted a 14-9 mark which included a perfect 7-0 record in conference play last season, received 59 points and five first-place votes. This season, three-time ASUN Coach of the Year
CJ Weber's team will look to capture its fourth ASUN Championship title, as well as the program's fourth berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Both Liberty (2) and UNF (1) also received first-place votes, rounding out the top three on the preseason list. UNF finished second in last year's ASUN Men's Tennis Championship, falling in the final round to the Eagles. Current senior
Marcelo Tebet clinched the match for FGCU with a 7-5 victory in the third set on court four. He was named Tournament MVP for his effort and was joined by junior
Juan Montes, a First Team All-ASUN selection, on the All-Tournament team.
In addition to returning starters
Tebet (Londrina, Brazil/Colegio Anglo American) and
Montes (Pereira, Colombia/Colegio Lujan), Weber will have four other members from last year's group, including Second Team All-ASUN honoree
Felipe Ramirez. Both
Ramirez (Armenia, Colombia/Florida Virtual School) and fellow senior
Feliksas Sakaluaskas (Palanga, Lithuania/Virginia Tech) were also part of the Eagles' regular starting lineup last season.
The returning talent will lead the Green and Blue into a 20-match schedule that features three NCAA Tournament teams. The Eagles will compete on their home courts at the FGCU Tennis Complex 12 times this season, where the team holds a 38-19 advantage over the last five years.
The team is set to officially kick off its 2020 campaign this Saturday, Jan. 11 with a 5 p.m. match against USF at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
2020 ASUN Conference Men's Tennis Preseason Poll
| Pl. |
Team (1st Pl. Votes) |
Pts |
| 1. |
FGCU (5) |
59 |
| 2. |
Liberty (2) |
56 |
| 3. |
UNF (1) |
52 |
| 4. |
Kennesaw State |
35 |
| 5. |
Stetson |
31 |
| 6. |
Lipscomb |
29 |
| 7. |
NJIT |
18 |
| 8. |
North Alabama |
8 |
FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of FGCU men's tennis follow us on Twitter & Instagram @FGCU_MTEN and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available at the end of the competition.
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 93-77 (.547) 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.
#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.
--
FGCUATHLETICS.COM--
