Two University of North Florida sports teams, men's tennis and beach volleyball, won the ASUN tournament and qualified for postseason play last week.
On April 21, the UNF men's tennis team defeated the Stetson Hatters to win the program's third ASUN tournament title. North Florida finished the regular season with 12 straight wins, including wins over all 10 of its ASUN Conference opponents.
The Ospreys had to work their way into the doubles match, and the doubles team of Juan Pablo Senos and PJ Cotan overcame a four-game deficit to win 7-6. In singles, North Florida won 8-4 and clinched the championship.
After winning the title, the Ospreys qualified for the NCAA Tennis Championships. On Friday, No. 71 North Florida faced No. 10 Florida State in Tallahassee, but the Ospreys lost 4-1, ending their season and winning streak.
North Florida began doubles play with a lead on every court and finished with a surprising 1-0 lead after Chase Healy and Andreas Scott won the match. But Florida State methodically came back, winning the final two doubles matches to give the Seminoles a 2-1 lead.
Scott won the other match, the match switched to single play, and that was all Ospreay got. Despite the loss, UNF had one of the best seasons in program history.
Meanwhile, beach volleyball, another UNF team that won the ASUN Championship, started postseason play in a much different fashion. The No. 16 Ospreys defeated No. 17 Chattanooga in the opening game of the National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship.
The win was North Florida's first at the tournament held in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The Ospreys took the early lead with three of five flights to seal a 3-0 victory. Flights are similar to regular volleyball sets.
Michaela Rezentes and Taylor Pierce scored their first points for UNF, which defeated its opponent by 12 points. In Game 2, Presley Murray and Madison Espy defeated the Ospreys by 15 points, giving both players their 20th win of the season.
North Florida needed just three games to seal the victory, and the Ospreys advanced to face top-ranked USC later in the day. Unfortunately, UNF faltered early against the Trojans. Despite a valiant effort, the Osprey lost its first three flights and was eliminated.
The Ospreys had to face the best teams early on, as the Trojans won the national championship. Both UNF teams' seasons will be marked as successful as they advanced to the postseason tournament and won the ASUN Conference, a feat not often achieved by both programs.
North Florida track and field has several sports that will soon be in the postseason. These sports include women's and men's golf, men's and women's track, and softball. Baseball may have a chance to make the postseason right away, but they will need to be a top-eight team in the ASUN standings.
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