FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's tennis team (0-3) dropped a 7-0 decision to the No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies (3-1) on Sunday afternoon at the FGCU Tennis Complex. The match was a last-minute addition to the Eagles' spring 2021 slate, as the team was originally scheduled to take on FAU in a road contest.
 
The match was highlighted by the duo of redshirt-junior Juan Montes (Pereira, Colombia/Colegio Lujan) and redshirt-sophomore Pedro Maciel (Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Goliath Academy), who bested their opponents 7-6 in doubles play. Though the match did not count towards the overall team score, as the Aggies had already claimed the doubles point via a pair of wins on courts one and three, it was an exciting win in the pair's first time playing together.
 
"I was really excited about the opportunity to host this match on such short notice," head coach CJ Weber said. "Both our team and theirs had a late change of plans and it worked out that we could play each other, so I'm appreciative of them making the trip. We don't get to play a school of this caliber very often on our home courts. It was a great opportunity for our team and our fans to see the best of college tennis."
 
Doubles play opened up with a lot of back-and-forth action between the Eagles and the Aggies. Redshirt-senior Felipe Ramirez (Armenia, Colombia/Florida Virtual School) and redshirt-freshman Randy Wilson (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Miami Palmetto/Louisville) teamed up at the top spot to take on Texas A&M's Aguilar and Thomson, who are ranked No. 48 in the ITA standings. The visiting pair earned a 6-4 victory to put the team on the brink of clinching the doubles point. The Aggies' Vacherot and Rollins then secured the early advantage with a 7-5 triumph on court No. 3, downing redshirt-freshman Magnus Johnson (Naples, Fla./Homeschool/UCF) and sophomore Max Damm (Bradenton, Fla./Saint Stephens Episcopal School).
 
With the doubles point in their pocket, the Aggies began singles play with wins on courts two and three. Despite the intensity that redshirt-freshman Guglielmo Stefanacci (Prato, Italy/International School of Florence) and redshirt-sophomore Juan Lopez (Gachancipa, Colombia/Colegio Virtual Siglo XXI) played with, they also went on to drop their matches at the fifth and sixth spots, respectively. The win on court six clinched the match for Texas A&M.
 
Johnson and freshman Alessandro Conca (Milan, Italy/ISMC Milano) had some of the closest matches of the day, despite falling in straight sets. Johnson dropped a 6-4, 6-3 result to Valentin Vacherot, who was ranked as high as No. 3 in the 2019-20 ITA rankings. After battling in a first set that saw his opponent earn a 7-5 result, Conca then lost 6-4 in the second frame to solidify the Aggies' sweep.
 
The team will now hit the road for a two-match road swing that will feature stops at UCF (Feb. 26) and Miami (Feb. 27). Following the in-state circuit, the Eagles will return home to host South Alabama on March 11. The match against the Jaguars will be the last of the Green & Blue's non-conference slate.
 
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. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU men's tennis or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
 
Singles competition
1. Valentin Vacherot (TAMU) def. JOHNSON, Magnus (FGCU) 6-4, 6-3
2. Hady Habib (TAMU) def. RAMIREZ, Felipe (FGCU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Noah Schachter (TAMU) def. WILSON, Randy (FGCU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Guido Marson (TAMU) def. CONCA, Alessandro (FGCU) 7-5, 6-4
5. Raphael Perot (TAMU) def. STEFANACCI, Gugli (FGCU) 6-1, 6-4
6. Bjorn Thomson (TAMU) def. LOPEZ, Juan (FGCU) 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 2, 3, 6, 5, 1, 4
 
Doubles competition
1. #48 Carlos Aguilar/Bjorn Thomson (TAMU) def. RAMIREZ, Felipe/WILSON, Randy (FGCU) 6-4
2. MONTES, Juan/MACIEL, Pedro (FGCU) def. Hady Habib/Noah Schachter (TAMU) 7-6
3. Valentin Vacherot/Pierce Rollins (TAMU) def. JOHNSON, Magnus/DAMM, Max (FGCU) 7-5
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
 
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 97-84 (.541) 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. 

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ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 82 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just nine 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 3.43 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 22 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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