MOBILE, ALA. -- The stage is set for a double national championship for Fresno Pacific tennis. Both Sunbirds team reached their respective finals at the NAIA Championships at Mobile Tennis Center on Friday.
Standing in their way is a familiar foe -- Auburn Montgomery.
The defending champion Sunbirds men defeated Embry-Riddle of Florida, 5-2. They will face AUM for the title at noon PDT Saturday (May 22). FPU defeated AUM in last year's championship match.
The Sunbirds men got off to a slow start, losing two of the three doubles sets. But FPU recovered to win four singles matches and clinch the team victory.
Fresno Pacific coach Neil Castro said his teams have the talent to win the national titles.
"If we play well, definitely," Castro said. "It was good for the men to get a tough match. We got pushed a bit but no one panicked. Everybody stayed pretty calm."
See complete results below.
Fresno Pacific 5 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 2
DOUBLES
Jan Hoekzema/Adrian Bayh, ER defeats. Xavier Smith/Alex Gonzalez, FPU 8-4
Peter Francis/Istvan Bolgar, ER defeats. Denny Fafek/Jose Hilla, FPU 8-6
Martin Vaisse/Maxime Adam, FPU defeats. Charlie Rice/Zander Woodford-Smith, ER 8-4
SINGLES
Xavier Smith, FPU defeats Jan Hoekzema, ER 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
Alex Gonzalez, FPU defeats Peter Francis, ER 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
Martin Vaisse, FPU defeats Charlie Rice, ER 6-1, 6-2
Denny Fafek, FPU vs. Adrian Bayh, ER 6-2, 3-6, 3-1, DNF
Maxime Adam, FPU defeats Istvan Bolgar, ER 6-3, 7-5
Jose Hilla, FPU vs. Luke Maricic, ER 6-4, 5-3, DNF
