ORLANDO, Fla. — The Ave Maria Men's Tennis team got back in the win column in a big way Friday afternoon by beating NCAA Division II Cedarville 4-3. The Gyrenes won the match after the fourth singles pairing, essentially winning 4-1, but since the it was a cross-association match, the final two pairings were played out and both were won by the Yellow Jackets, making the score look a lot closer than it was.

Ave Maria won the doubles point for the second time this season, winning in the first and third pairings. Cedarville won the opening doubles set but that was followed up quickly by back-to-back Gyrene wins. The top pair of Anderson Duggan and Joao Felipe Almeida finished first with a 6-3 win followed by Pedro Garcia and Juan Garcia in the third pairing winning 6-4.

In the singles round, Gianmarco Punzo was the first to finish for the Gyrenes, winning 6-3, 6-0. It is the third win of the season for Punzo and the second time he has won a set 6-0 this season.

Duggan was the next to finish for the Gyrenes, winning 6-3, 6-2. Duggan has been the top position all season for the Gyrenes and is not 4-2 on the year. Duggan's win put the Gyrenes up 3-0 in the match.

Cedarville got a point back in the sixth pairing, but then Juan Garcia clinched the match for the Gyrenes winning the fourth pairing 6-3, 6-4. Garcia is now 4-1 in the 2025 season with one unfinished match.

Since the match was between an NAIA school and an NCAA Division II school, the final two pairing concluded their matches instead of ending as unfinished. Cedarville won both of the final matches in 10-point tiebreakers after splitting the first two sets.

With the win, Ave Maria improves to 3-3 on the year and 1-1 in their stretch of Orlando matches.

The Gyrenes are back in O-Town Friday, March 14, against NCAA Division III opponent, Wittenberg. The Tigers are currently 0-4 but still have five matches to play before facing the Gyrenes.