AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's team toppled an NCAA Division II opponent to earn their first win of the season on Tuesday, a 4-3 victory over the Sailfish of Palm Beach Atlantic University. The Gyrenes claimed four of the six singles matches to claim the victory, including a clutch win at the fourth singles flight, one of two to go to a third set, to take the match.

Palm Beach Atlantic easily won the doubles point, winning all three of the doubles matches. The closest of these matches came at the top flight, where Juanfer Contreras and Luis Eduardo Platas emerged with a 7-5 victory over Ave Maria's top team of Gaston Erhardt and Anderson Duggan. The other matches were both decided by 6-3 scores, giving the Sailfish the early advantage. 

Ave Maria's tides turned in singles, with three Gyrenes rolling to easy wins in one on one play. Erhardt surrendered just four total points in a 6-2, 6-2 win at the top spot, while Nolan Smith did the same in a 6-1, 6-3 victory at the fifth flight. Joao Felipe Almeida was also a winner in straight sets, defeating Noah Muyale by a 6-3, 6-2 score. PBA won in the second flight in three sets and the third flight in straight sets, leaving the fourth flight as the difference.

The decisive match of the day came at the fourth flight, with PBA's Juan Fernandez and AMU's Pedro Garcia going to a third set, one of two matches to do so. Fernandez seemed to have control of the match with a 6-1 win in the first set, but Garcia answered with a 6-1 win of his own in the second. With the match on the line, Garcia emerged with a 7-5 victory in the final set, giving Ave Maria the needed fourth point.

The upcoming schedule remains difficult for the Gyrenes, who will battle two nationally ranked teams later this week in the Peach State. The Gyrenes will play No. 14 Cumberland University in a neutral site affair on Friday, then will finish the week with a road match against No. 11 Middle Georgia in Cochran. Both matches will be played at the home courts of Middle Georgia, with opening serve of both matches scheduled for 9:30 a.m.