FGCU men’s tennis has always been a program towards the top of ASUN. The Eagles have reached the conference tournament championship three years in a row.
In 2021 and 2022, the team failed. However, this year was all about the FGCU. The Eagles won both the regular season title and the ASUN Tournament Championship.
“Honestly, the last two weeks I’ve been on cloud nine,” said head coach CJ Weber.
This cloud formed after the FGCU won its fourth conference championship in program history. Weber and the Eagles have been flying it ever since, as they now prepare for the NCAA Tournament.
“[It was] definitely something really special,” said senior captain Guglielmo Stefanacci. “First for us because we have never experienced this.”
They also sat atop that cloud last weekend as they watched their name being called during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.
“We were kinda waiting for our name and when it came up on screen it was so much fun,” Stefanacci said.
Doing the NCAA Tournament this year was even more special for the Eagles. It’s a team of veterans who have been together for three years. They also haven’t added any freshmen this season. So it’s been the same band for a while.
“A lot of them engage a little deeper and use their experience together, I think that was the difference,” Weber said.
Now, this group of veterans heads to Athens to face sixth-seeded Georgia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament — a tough test, but one they’re ready for.
“It will be really good to get points, games, but winning would be even more special,” Stefanacci said.
“I don’t care if we win or lose, but we have to enjoy it,” Weber added. “We have to work hard, we have to fight and we have to believe in ourselves. If we succeed, no one can take anything away from us. »
FGCU takes on Georgia in the first round Saturday at 1 p.m. NBC2 will have full coverage after the game.
