Mobile, AL – After falling behind 1-2 after doubles play, the 3rd-seeded Sunbirds won four singles matches in straight sets to upset No. 2 seed Embry Riddle 5-1 in a NAIA national semifinal match on Friday at the Mobile Tennis Center.
Fresno Pacific (24-2) will meet top seed and defending champion Auburn University-Montgomery in Saturday’s match for the NAIA title. First serve is scheduled for 8:00am PT. AUM defeated No. 4 seed Cal Baptist 5-1 in the other semifinal.
Embry Riddle looked poised to reach the championship round by quickly winning two doubles matches. The Sunbird No. 2 team of Maxime Adam and Marco Foelz broke Andrian Bayh and Charlie Rice’s serve in the first game of the match and held the rest of the way to earn an 8-6 win, avoiding a 0-3 deficit heading into singles action. Adam and Foelz fended off nine break point opportunities by the Golden Eagles.
Down but not out, the Sunbirds were unfazed by the raucous Embry Riddle team. Fresno Pacific blitzed the Eagles with first set wins in all six singles positions; two of those by 7-6 scores.
Needing four matches to clinch the victory, the Sunbirds answered with straight set wins (in order)
by No. 3 Alex Gonzalez, No. 1 Fabio Silva, No. 6 Jose Hilla, and No. 5 Maxime Adam.
Fresno Pacific is looking to break a three year championship win streak by the Senators from AUM. The last program to win the NAIA title was Azusa Pacific in 2005.
For up to date NAIA National Tennis Championship information, please visit:
http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-tennis/spec-rel/012508aab.html