AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's tennis team earned their biggest win of the 2021 season on Saturday afternoon, upsetting the nation's No. 19 team, the Mariners of the College of Coastal Georgia. The Gyrenes won four of six singles matches to rally for a 4-3 win over the Mariners, earning AMU a crucial first win in Sun Conference action. The win also marked Ave Maria's first ever win over Coastal Georgia following defeats in each of the past three seasons.

Ave Maria had to play from behind on Saturday afternoon, as Coastal Georgia won two of three doubles matches to earn the day's first point. Arthur Figuiere and Talic Jamela were victorious at the number two doubles spot, winning 6-2 over Carlos Thireau and Alejandro Viedma. The Mariners then clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win from Bautista Chiaradia and Felix Arroyo Viglino at the number three spot. 

The Gyrenes' doubles win was provided by the top team of Nicholas Hofmeister and Luca Cirenza, who won a tiebreaker to earn a 7-6 win over Lucas Landaluce / Khanyakweze Ramokgopa. 

Singles play was much kinder to the Gyrenes, who won four of the first five matches to finish to claim the match victory. After Coastal Georgia made it 2-0 with a 6-1, 6-3 win by Figuiere at the top slot, AMU responded with wins at the second and third positions. Cirenza knocked off Chiaradia at number two, 6-4, 6-3, while Hofmeister won his sixth consecutive singles match with a straight sets victory over Felix Arroyo Viglino.

In short succession, the Gyrenes then earned victories at the fifth and sixth positions to clinch the match. Viedma earned AMU their third point of the day with a 7-6, 6-1 win over Ramokgopa. Moments later, Felipe Amorim clinched AMU's win over a ranked opponent with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Jamela. 

The final match of the day, which drew the full attention of the two teams, was contested between Landaluce and Thireau at the number four position. Landaluce won the opening set, 7-5, but Thireau rallied with a 7-5 win of his own to force a tiebreaker in the third set. In that tiebreaker, Landaluce pulled away late to earn the third Mariner point of the afternoon, 10-7.

AMU's victory kept the Gyrenes in contention for a berth in The Sun Conference Tournament, as AMU still has three conference matches remaining. The first of these Sun Conference contests is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6, when the Gyrenes take on the Warriors of Webber International University, which will start a stretch of four matches in 12 days for AMU. Opening serve between the Gyrenes and the Warriors a week from Tuesday in Babson Park is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.