ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. ? One of the best seasons in ACU men's tennis history came to a disappointing conclusion Wednesday at the NCAA Division II national championship tournament as the 14th-ranked Wildcats dropped a 5-3 decision to seventh-ranked Georgia College and State at Sanlando Park.
GCSU earned a 2-1 advantage after doubles as Max Beliankou and Robert Angelucci posted an 8-5 finish to begin the set. The No.2 ranked doubles team of Erick Siqueira and Justin Pickham notched an 8-3 victory in their match as the Bobcats jumped out to an early lead.
ACU's Eldad Campbell, however, got the match tied at 2-2 with a quick 6-0, 6-1 win over Justin Pickham, who entered the tournament ranked No. 15 in the nation in singles play. Bryan Joiner also got a win at No. 5 singles after Leo Benardes retired after Joiner won the first set 6-3 and jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second set, giving ACU a 3-2 lead.
But the Bobcats won the final three singles matches they needed to win to take the match.
A hobbled Juan Nunez (ranked No. 49 in the nation) was no match for eight-ranked Erick Siqueira, who handled the ACU senior, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 1 singles. ACU senior Ryan Hudson jumped on 25th-ranked Francis Yoshimoto for a 6-4 win in the first set, but dropped the next two sets (6-0, 6-4) to drop the match as the Bobcats took a 4-3 lead.
The deciding match was at No. 4 singles where Max Beliankou rallied from down a set to take a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Luke Hawk, the win that sent the Bobcats to the quarterfinals and the Wildcats home.
#7 Georgia College 5, #14 Abilene Christian 3
Singles competition
1. #8 Erick Siqueira (GCSU-M) def. #49 Juan Nunez (ACU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Eldad Campbell (ACU) def. #15 Justin Pickham (GCSU-M) 6-0, 6-1
3. #25 Francis Yoshimoto (GCSU-M) def. Ryan Hudson (ACU) 4-6, 6-0,6-4
4. Max Beliankou (GCSU-M) def. Luke Hawk (ACU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
5. Bryan Joiner (ACU) def. Leo Benardes (GCSU-M) 6-3, 3-0, retired
6. John Strahl (ACU) vs. Joao Casagrande (GCSU-M) 4-6, 7-6, 5-4, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #2 Erick Siqueira/Justin Pickham (GCSU-M) def. Ryan Hudson/Luke Hawk (ACU) 8-3
2. Bryan Joiner/Juan Nunez (ACU) def. Francis Yoshimoto/Joao Casagrande (GCSU-M) 8-5
3. Max Beliankou/Robert Angelucci (GCSU-M) def. Hutton Jones, Jr./Eldad Campbell (ACU) 8-5
Match Notes:
Georgia College 20-3; National ranking #7
Abilene Christian 26-8; National ranking #14