Mobile, AL – Sunbirds head coach Neil Castro was his usual self during the NAIA national championship match – cool, calm, and collected - against Auburn University-Montgomery on Saturday at the Mobile Tennis Center.
Castro is used to this. His Sunbirds teams have been winless against the Senators five times in title matches (4 women, 1 men).
A 5-3 loss to AUM’s women’s team in 2007 was the only real opportunity to capture that elusive title. This time he eyed his No. 5 player, Maxime Adam, holding a match point for the NAIA national title. The Sunbirds contingent roared as Adam broke serve to gut out a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 win over Francisco Redondo to elevate his team to a 5-3 upset win over the 8-time national champion Senators. Adam’s teammates stormed to court No. 45 to mob the sweat-soaked Adam and celebrate Fresno Pacific’s first-ever men’s tennis national title.
It is the fifth overall national title in Sunbirds history. The women’s volleyball team won the other four (1989, 2003, 2007-2008). Saturday’s win also snapped AUM’s three year championship win streak (2006-2008).
On this occasion the Sunbirds needed not a miracle, but a ferocious mentality to finally overcome the benchmark for NAIA tennis success. The Senators have been many things during their championship runs: unstoppable, unbeatable, and invincible. Not on this day, not in this moment.
With the city of Montgomery just under 3 hours away by car, AUM definitely had the hometown feel along with home court advantage. Dozens of AUM supporters arrived in carloads to witness the mighty Senators try to claim their ninth national title.
The Sunbirds had other plans.
In doubles action, the Senators crushed the Sunbirds at the Nos. 2 and 3 positions by 8-4 and 8-3 scores, respectively. Vicente Joli and Alex Gonzalez’ 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles over Michael Johnson and Monte Tucker provided the spark Fresno Pacific would need for singles.
Sunbird No. 3 Gonzalez answered the bell first with a rousing 6-3, 6-4 win over Sadio Doumbia to knot the team score 2-2.
No. 6 Jose Hilla fell to AUM’s Nicola Miscovic 6-2, 6-1 to push the Senators back on top by a 3-2 margin.
With four matches closely contested and the momentum swinging back and forth for both teams, it was only a matter of time before one was to take control.
No. 1 Fabio Silva fell behind 4-5 in both sets to AUM’s Victor Sanaki Papi, but edged Papi in both of them to win 7-5, 7-5 to tie up the team score 3-3.
With both teams needing two wins in the final three matches, it was the Sunbirds who finally overcame the dominant history and aura of AUM men’s tennis.
No. 4 singles player, senior Marco Foelz, wrapped up an impressive 6-2, 6-4 win over Monte Tucker to put his team up 4-3 and within a victory of a national title.
Minutes later, Adam’s monumental comeback at No. 5 singles clinched the championship. Castro was named the NAIA Coach of the Year, while Joli was recognized as the championships Most Outstanding Player.
The “2009 NAIA Men’s Tennis National Champions” banner will forever be held up in the rafters at Fresno Pacific’s Special Events Center, alongside four championship banners won by women’s volleyball.
The Sunbirds men’s tennis team concluded the season with a 25-2 record…and a national championship.