LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's tennis team nearly toppled another nationally ranked foe on Wednesday afternoon, but came up just short in a 4-3 loss to No. 11 Middle Georgia State in Lakeland. The Gyrenes won the doubles point and a pair of singles matches, but dropped two of three matches that went into a third set to narrowly fall to the Knights in the neutral site affair.

Wins at the top two doubles matches propelled Ave Maria to a 1-0 lead in the overall contest. Playing together for the first time this season, Gustavo Cruz and Nicholas Hofmeister defeated Adria Pratdepadua and Oscar Traviesa Mola, 6-4, at the top doubles spot. Fernando Orihuela and Sebastian Grijalva finished off the doubles point with a 6-2 win at the second position over Icham Tidjine and Naufal Kamaruzzaman. Middle Georgia's number three pair of Jordi Bou and Gianfranco Germinara avoided the sweep with a 6-4 win at the third spot. 

Ave Maria's singles wins came at the first and fourth spots in the lineup. Gustavo Cruz showed why he is one of the top 50 players in the nation with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jordi Bou at the top of the lineup. Sebastian Grijalva earned AMU's lone three-set victory, rallying from a 6-2 loss in the first set to dominate the rest of the way, winning 6-1, 6-2 in the second and third frames against Gianfranco Germinara. 

AMU's best two chances to win the match were at the third and sixth spots. Fernando Orihuela had three match points in the second set of his match against Adria Pratdepadua, but fell 7-6 in that set before dropping a 6-3 decision in the third. Carlos Thireau won the first set of his match, 6-3, but fell 6-3 in the second set before retiring in the third set, which was tied 1-1, due to cramping. Middle Georgia's other two wins were straight set triumphs at the number two and number five spots, giving the match to the Knights.

The last of Ave Maria's nine ranked opponents on the 2022 schedule awaits the Gyrenes on Saturday. AMU will face No. 22 Coastal Georgia in Brunswick in the team's penultimate Sun Conference matchup. With wins over the Mariners and Warner in the conference finale April 9, the Gyrenes would secure their spot as the conference runner-up, giving AMU the number two seed in The Sun Conference Tournament. Opening serve in Brunswick on Saturday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.