Athletics at SBU

SBU ADVANCES TO SECOND StrAIGHT ELIGHT EIGHT

May 12, 2004

Altamonte Springs, Florida . Looking to advance to the Elight Eight, the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats (24-4) did just that as they claimed a 5-3 win over Abilene Christian University in day one of the NCAA Division II Festival of Champions. The Bearcats have now won 12 matches in a row and are in the Elight Eight for the second year in a row.

SBU head coach John Bryant says, "Abilene Christian played hard and a couple of points here and there and they could have taken the match. Our win today was an example of staying in the present and not worrying about the past or the future."

Dante Cipulli/Johan Nortje gave the Bearcats the first lead, 1-0, with a quick 8-4 win over ACU's Trent Broach/Eran Puglia. The Wildcats then tied the match at one when they took the #3 doubles match, 8-2.

In the most exciting match of the day, SBU's Andras Bori and Mark Eori pulled out a 9-8 win in the #1 doubles match. Bori and Eori were up 7-4 when ACU's Casper Steenkamp and Jason Ray fought back to take the lead, 8-7. Bori and Eori tied the score at eight and sent the match into a tiebreaker.

Early on in the tiebreaker, ACU was up 5-2 and looking for the win when Bori and Eori blasted their way back into the lead 6-5. After swapping the lead several times, Eori served and gave SBU the 11-10 lead. On the brink of losing the match, ACU's Steenkamp hit the ball in the net after Bori returned the Wildcat serve to give SBU the winning match point, 12-10.

"I knew the match wasn't over but I sure did feel better after we won the #1 doubles," says Bryant after the Bearcats won two of the three doubles matches.

In the #6 singles match, Evan Puglia blanked SBU's John Paden, 6-0, 6-0 to tie the match at two. Dante Cipulli, the #2 singles player in the nation, quickly put the Bearcats back in front 3-2 in the #1 singles match, 6-2, 6-3, over Casper Steenkomp.

Mark Eori made SBU history as he became the all-time singles wins leader when he took a 6-3, 6-3, win over Jason Ray to give the Bearcats a 4-2 lead. Eori's win was his 106 th career singles win. ACU bounced right back with a 6-3, 7-5 win in the #4 singles as George Carstens held off Johan Nortje, 6-3, 7-5.

Andras Bori clinched the win for SBU as he won the #3 singles match 6-3, 6-3.

With the win, SBU will now face the winner of the West Florida/UC-San Diego match at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 13 th .

NCAA Division II National Championships

Altamonte Springs, Florida

Sanlando Tennis Center

Doubles

#1 Andras Bori/Mark Eori (SBU) def. Casper Steenkamp/Jason Ray (ACU), 9-8 (12-10)

#2 Dante Cipulli/Johan Nortje (SBU) def. Trent Broach/Evan Puglia (ACU), 8-4

#3 George Carstens/Kevin Breedy (ACU) def. Peter Joos/Brian Harrelson (SBU), 8-2

Singles

#1 Dante Cipulli (SBU) def. Casper Steenkamp (ACU), 6-2, 6-3

#2 Mark Eori (SBU) def. Jason Ray (ACU), 6-3, 6-3