Box Score

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's tennis team blanked former Gulf South Conference rival North Alabama, 7-0, in its home opener on Thursday at the JSU Tennis Complex.

The Gamecocks also notched their first win of the 2012 season after falling to Conference USA opponents – Tulane and Southern Mississippi on the road.

Jax State took the early advantage after claiming the doubles point over the Lions after winning at No. 2 and 3.  The point was clinched after the JSU tandem of Igor Santos and Jordan Cowling downed UNA's pairing of Mirko Sommerfield and Constantin Witten, 8-4.  At No. 3, JSU's team of Felipe Watanabe and Felipe Wenzel disposed of the Lions' duo of Rob Whitsitt and Alex Weber.  UNA's top doubles team of Matt Feury and Aliaksei Kavalenka won a tiebreaker over Jax State's pairing of Axel Sundberg and Nenad Marcec, 8-7 (4).

The Gamecocks continued their dominance in singles play as they swept all six courts in straight sets to complete the shut out.  Cowling, a freshman from Melbourne, Australia, turned in his second-straight win in singles at No. 4 as he won 6-3, 6-3 over Sommerfield.  Jax State's other freshman in the line up, Felipe Diaz, carded his first singles win as a Gamecock after topping UNA's Jonathan Vick, 6-4, 6-0.  Santos was victorious for the second consecutive outing as he discarded Fuery at No.2, 6-2, 6-2. 

Sundberg, a preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference selection, earned his first singles win at No. 1 as he toppled Witten of UNA, 6-2, 6-4.  Watanabe rounded out the scoring with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Whitsitt at No. 6.

The Jax State men continue action at home on Saturday, Feb. 11 as they welcome future OVC opponent Belmont to campus.  Match time is set for Noon.  The JSU women return to the courts on Friday as they travel to Montgomery, Ala. to face the Hornets of Alabama State.