MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Jacksonville State's men's tennis team won its second match of the weekend on Saturday with a thrilling 4-3 win over Kennesaw State in the Alabama State Invitational.

The Owls of KSU edged the Jax State women by the identical score.  The Gamecocks improved to 2-3 on the season, while the Owls fell to 2-4 overall.  The JSU women dropped to 2-3 after Saturday's tough setback.

In the men's match, the Gamecocks bounced back after being swept in doubles.  The Owls took an early 2-0 lead in the match after Simon Pritchard downed JSU's Pedro Wagner at No. 1 – 6-1, 6-3.  The Gamecocks' evened the score after Mathias Chaim and Dylan Gee posted straight-sets wins. Chaim turned back KSU's David Durham – 7-6, 6-3, while Gee recorded a 7-5, 6-2 win over Maksim Yorsh.  JSU took a 3-2 lead after Jeffery Wendler-Filho downed Louis Theodor – 7-5, 6-1 at No. 3.

After a KSU win at No. 6, the match came down to JSU freshman Jaryd Reese and Jorge Wilton at No. 2.  Reese, playing against his hometown school, claimed the first set 6-3, but Wilton evened the match with a 7-6 second-set win.  Reese blanked Wilton, 6-0, in the third-and-deciding set to clinch the match for the Gamecocks.
In the women's tilt, JSU came out on top after doubles by winning at No. 1 and 3 doubles.  Jax State's top duo of Raisa Guasti and Olivia Nguyen ousted KSU's Alexandra Apostu and Gabriela Bueno, 8-4.  The doubles point was secured when Zoe Bizinos and Danielle Kerindi registered an 8-4 win over Jana Hueckinghaus and Tamara Plocher.

In what mirrored the men's match, the women's duel was a see-saw affair with the Owls rebounding to win four singles matches.  Two of JSU's freshmen in the singles line up came away with wins on Saturday.  Claudia Marsala won her match at No. 3 over  Hueckinghaus – 6-3, 6-1.  Sadey St. Amant also won in straight sets at No. 6 over Gabriela Bueno – 6-3, 6-3.

JSU will close out the weekend with a 10 a.m. match with Florida A&M on the ASU campus.