MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (February 24, 2019) – The Webber International University men's and women's tennis teams spent their second straight weekend in the Miami, Florida, area, and this time both of the Warriors' men's and women's teams defeated Florida National University 5-4 on Friday, February 22, before coming away with a pair of 7-2 Sun Conference victories over St. Thomas University on Saturday, February 23.

Webber men's tennis is now 4-4 overall and 3-2 in The Sun Conference on the season while the Webber women's team improved to 5-3 and 4-1.

In The Sun Conference standings, Webber currently finds itself in second place on the women's side and is in fourth in the men's standings with four teams making the postseason on each side.
 
Webber at Florida National University (Friday, February 22; Hialeah, Fla.):
Men's Highlights

• Tare Mariga and Ivan Bondarenko won 8-4 at No. 1 doubles while Hugo Hasegawa and Marc Schneider won 8-2 at No. 3 doubles to give the Warriors a 2-1 advantage heading into singles action.
• In singles, Mariga (won 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 at No. 3 singles) and Hasegawa (won 4-6, 6-3, 6-1) both completed three-set comebacks to bring Webber to within one match of clinching the victory, which happened on the next match to finish as Bondarenko won 7-5, 0-6, 6-3 in a three-setter of his own at No. 2 singles.
• In the end, four of the six singles matches went to three sets as the final match on the men's side saw Christof Buehler fall 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4) at the No. 4 spot.

 
Women's Highlights

• Similarly to the men's side, Webber led 2-1 after doubles on the women's side as Isabelle Niehoff and Svenja Koenig won 8-1 in the No. 2 spot before Jenna Fosdick and Megan Kelson finished off doubles with a close 8-6 win in the three hole.
• Niehoff then won the first singles match to finish, taking it by a score of 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles; and then Webber needed a three-set win by Paula John in the No. 2 spot, 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 to take a 4-3 lead.
• The clincher came from Koenig at No. 5 singles as she came out on top in a three-setter of her own at 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-1.

 
Webber at St. Thomas University (Saturday, February 23; Miami Gardens, Fla.):
Men's Highlights

• Webber swept doubles as Ivan Bondarenko and Tare Mariga won 8-4 in the No 1 spot, Hugo Hasegawa and Marc Schneider won 8-6 in the No. 2 spot, and Matthew Alexander and Kyle Hall won 8-3 in the three hole.
• In singles, Hasegawa won 6-4, 7-6 in the No. 1 spot over the No. 35 nationally-ranked player in the NAIA, Kevin Cubela, and Mariga cruised 6-4, 6-0 in the No. 3 position.
• Bondarenko and Schneider both completed three-set comebacks to win their singles matches as Bondarenko won 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the No. 2 spot while Schneider won 3-6, 6-3, 10-6 at No. 5 singles.
• Christof Buehler fell in three sets for the second straight match, dropping it 6-3, 4-6, 10-5 at No. 4 singles.

 

• Words from Coach Otis Cutshaw: "It was a great weekend for us to come away with two wins on the road. A gritty 5-4 win over a new NAIA program in Florida National and then a convincing 7-2 win over St. Thomas which a year earlier beat us by the same score at our place. We can see how all the hard work and tough matches are playing off, but we still have more work to do as we get ready for our next match."

 
Women's Highlights

• Just like on the men's side, the Webber women's team swept doubles action with an 8-4 win in the No. 1 spot by Emily John and Paula John, an 8-2 win in the No. 2 spot by Isabelle Niehoff and Svenja Koenig, and a 8-4 win by Jenna Fosdick and Megan Kelson in the No. 3 spot.
• In No. 3 singles, Fosdick won a three-set comeback 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; and then Niehoff won 6-3, 6-3 in the No. 4 spot followed by wins of 6-3, 6-2 by Koenig in the No. 5 spot and 6-3, 7-6 by Kelson in the No. 6 position.

 

• Words from Coach Otis Cutshaw: "The women are showing some great fight over the last few matches as they won two of the three matches this week by scores of 5-4. With each team member cheering and pulling for one another, it's good to see all their hard work payoff and see how much fight they have in them to battle and compete. It was great to come away with two wins, but we can't rest. We still have matches that need to be played and things to work on."

 
Next Up: Webber will have one more great opportunity to strengthen its hold on a postseason position on both the men's and the women's sides as the Warriors host Southeastern University at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27, at the Webber Campus Tennis Courts.