FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's tennis team (3-3) will look to stay hot as it welcomes Miami (6-2) to the FGCU Tennis Complex for a 5 p.m. match on Saturday, Feb. 15. The Eagles have won three of their last four contests and are currently on a two-match unbeaten streak.
This weekend's match against the Hurricanes will feature some of the toughest competition that the Green and Blue have faced so far this season. While the team itself is not ranked, Miami's name pops up multiple times in the ITA's player rankings. Junior Adria Soriano Barrera checks in at No. 32 in the nation in singles, while the duos of sophomore Franco Aubone/junior Benjamin Hannestad and Barrera/sophomore Francisco Bastias are tabbed No. 14 and No. 46, respectively, in doubles.
After dropping his season-opening singles match against USF, senior
Felipe Ramirez (Armenia, Colombia) hasn't lost since, earning four-straight wins on the top court. During that stretch, he has outscored his opponents 49-17 in straight sets.
The pair of junior
Juan Montes (Pereira, Colombia) and senior
Marcelo Tebet (Londrina, Brazil) has also been heating up for FGCU. The duo is currently on a four-match unbeaten streak at the second flight.
Saturday will mark the first time that the Hurricanes have made the trip to the FGCU Tennis Complex. The history between the two programs favors Miami 2-1. The Eagles' lone victory over the Hurricanes was a 4-1 triumph in Coral Gables back in 2015.
Miami will head to Fort Myers coming off a 7-0 sweep over in-state opponent FAU (Feb. 9). Including its most recent achievement over the Owls, the Hurricanes have swept four opponents this season. Among those victories was a 7-0 decision over ASUN opponent Liberty back in January.
The visiting team's only two losses of the season have been against ranked opponents. Miami fell to No. 13 California at the ITA Kick-off Weekend by a score of 4-0 and also dropped a match against No. 23 Mississippi State 4-2.
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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 ninth year, Weber has compiled a 96-80 (.545) 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-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just eight-plus 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 women's basketball (2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. 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-one consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall semester saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. 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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