STATESBORO, Ga. – The men's tennis team wrapped up their fall season at the UNCW Seahawk Invite. The Eagles continued their fall success in doubles play and really focused on their singles play down the stretch. Head Coach Sander Koning enters his fourth season at the helm of the program posting a 34-20 record overall.

During the 2016-17 season the Eagles posted a 19-12 record, becoming the first team since 2000-01 to post back to back winning season, as well as being the first team since 1983 to post an undefeated season at home. The Eagles didn't stop their winning their first Sun Belt Conference Tournament match, upsetting the defending conference champions UT-Arlington.

The Blue and White competed in five tournaments over the fall including the ITA Southeast Regional Championships. The Eagles began the fall in Conway, South Carolina, where they competed against conference opponent Coastal Carolina and Presbyterian. During the opening weekend the Eagles won 11 of the 12 double matches and 15 out of the 24 singles matches they played.

The second tournament of the season sent the Eagles up I-16 to Macon, Georgia to compete in the Mercer Gridiron Classic. Continuing their success in Conway, the Eagles were nearly perfect in singles play, winning 11 of the 13 matches played and had five guys in the semifinals of three different draws. Murphy McCullough would defeat freshman Carlos Garcia, defending the Eagles title in Mercer from last season.

The Eagles continued their fall season at the ITA Southeast Regional Championships hosted by Georgia Tech. JC Alcala earned a spot in the main draw, while Eddie Landin, Stefano Di Aloy, Diego Finkelstein, Artemie Amari, and Murphy McCullough attempted to qualify in the back draw.

With the fall season quickly fading away, the Blue and White hosted their annual Georgia Southern Invitational at the Wallis Tennis Center. In 2016 the Eagles took pride in protecting "the nest" becoming the first team since 1983 to be unbeaten at home. The Eagles continued that success into the fall, dominating the Georgia Southern Invitational. The Blue and White would control the finals for doubles play and having three of the four semifinalists in the main draw.

The Eagles will now prepare for the 2017-18 season where they will being their defense of the Wallis Tennis Center. The Blue and White will begin the year on the road for the first nine matches. The Eagles begin at the USAF Academy, Colorado where they will face off against the Air Force Academy and the University of the Incarnate Word.

Following their stint in Colorado the Eagles will head south to the Sunshine state and compete against the University of Miami and Florida Gulf Coast. The Blue and White will continue their month long road trip against two teams that they kicked off the 2016-17 season. The Eagles will face off against Clemson who they fell 4-3, and The Citadel who they defeated 7-0.

For the final three matches of the road trip the Eagles will return to Florida to compete against Florida Atlantic, Bethune-Cookman, and Stetson. The Eagles will finally compete in the Wallis Tennis Center against Mercer University. The Bears defeated the Eagles 4-3 ending a seven match winning streak for the Eagles. During that streak the Eagles surrendered seven points while scoring 29 points.

The Blue and White will play nine of their final 16 matches inside the Wallis Tennis Center. The Eagles will wrap up the season with three conference matches. Georgia State, Appalachian State, Louisiana, and UNC-Wilmington will be the final four matches of the season, before the Eagles head to New Orleans for the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Championships.

WHAT HEAD COACH SANDER KONING SAID
"We had a good fall. We did a lot better in doubles than last year and that was also a point of emphasis for us. In singles we had our ups and downs. The good thing is that many of the guys kept working on the things we have been doing in practice and towards the end it came together. Our play should give us the confidence to do well this spring. It will all come down to us making the right decisions when it counts and trust ourselves."

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