ATHENS, Ga. – The Jacksonville State men's tennis team concluded a successful 2014 season with a 4-0 loss to nationally-ranked Georgia in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship on Saturday at the Dan McGill Tennis Complex on the UGA campus.

The Gamecocks', who claimed the Ohio Valley Conference Championship in the regular season and then followed that feat by winning the OVC Tournament Championship, finished the 2014 campaign at 17-8 and won 17 of the final 25 matches.  The Bulldogs of UGA move on to face North Carolina State on Sunday in the Athens Regional final.  N.C. State topped Oregon, 4-2, in the first match of the day.

UGA started strong by claiming the doubles point, but JSU put up a valiant effort.  The Bulldogs' No. 2 tandem of Nathan Pasha and Garrett Brasseaux downed Jax State's duo of Dylan Gee and Mathias Chaim, 8-2.  The doubles point was clinched shortly after at No. 3 as the UGA team of Austin Smith and Eric Diaz turned back the Gamecocks' pairing of Jefferson Wendler-Filho and Felipe Wenzel, 8-3.
At No. 1 doubles, UGA led 5-3 over JSU's top-duo of Jaryd Reese and Pedro Wagner when the point was clinched.

With momentum on their side, the Bulldogs jumped up a set on JSU on five of the six courts before rain halted the action and eventually the match was moved indoors.  UGA pushed its advantage to 2-0 after Brasseaux, ranked No. 70 in the nation, bounced JSU's Reese, 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2.  At No. 1, Wagner battled Smith, who was the top-ranked player for the Bulldogs, before falling 6-4, 6-2.
UGA's Nick Wood clinched the match at No. 4 with a straight sets win over Wendler-Filho at No. 4.

Veteran JSU Head Coach Steve Bailey, who won OVC Coach of the Year, will have the nucleus of the squad back next season and will vie for another conference crown as all six singles players return, including the five freshmen players, who gained valuable experience in their first year of collegiate tennis.

"I know it wasn't the result that we wanted, but I am so proud of this team this year and the success that they have had this season," said Bailey.  "This is a very young group that got better and better each match and this experience in the NCAA Tournament will only help us down the road and strive to get back here in the future.  I am glad our guys got to experience playing at a place like Georgia."

This marked JSU's fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament after earning the conference's bid in 2005, 2007 and 2009.

Georgia 4, Jacksonville State 0

Singles competition 
1. #23 Austin Smith (UGA) def. Pedro Wagner (JSU) 6-4, 6-2
2. #70 Garrett Brasseaux (UGA) def. Jaryd Reese (JSU) 6-0, 6-0
3. #82 Ben Wagland (UGA) vs. Dylan Gee (JSU) 6-4, 3-2, unfinished
4. Nick Wood (UGA) def. Jefferson Wendler-Fi (JSU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Hernus Pieters (UGA) vs. Mathias Chaim (JSU) 6-1, 5-1, unfinished
6. Eric Diaz (UGA) vs. Felipe Wenzel (JSU) 6-4, 1-1, unfinished

Doubles competition 
1. #8 Hernus Pieters/Ben Wagland (UGA) vs. Jaryd Reese/Pedro Wagner (JSU) 6-3, unfinished
2. Garrett Brasseaux/Nathan Pasha (UGA) def. Mathias Chaim/Dylan Gee (JSU) 8-2
3. Austin Smith/Eric Diaz (UGA) def. Jefferson Wendler-Fi/Felipe Wenzel (JSU) 8-3

 
Match Notes:
Jacksonville State 17-8
Georgia 17-7
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (2,1,4)
NCAA First Round