Mocs Tennis Ends 2024 Season in NCAA First Round Exit Against No. 1 Saint Leo

SAINT LEO, Fla. – The No. 15 Florida Southern College men's tennis team ended the 2024 season with a 4-3 loss in the NCAA regional first round against No. 1 Saint Leo University on Monday afternoon at the Saint Leo Tennis Center.
 
The Mocs (15-9) entered as a seven-seed to the regional postseason and battled back from a doubles point loss to win three singles courts. The Lions (21-3) won doubles and outlasted the final court in three sets to win 4-3 and advance to the second round tomorrow against the winner of Rollins and Embry-Riddle.
 
FSC lost the first two courts of doubles and a third unfinished court to give SLU the early advantage. Chris Fok Kow and Mario Garoz (ranked 21 in ITA doubles) faced Iriarte and Soukal (28^th in doubles) at the #1 court but lost 6-2. Matteo Feggi and Ryan Rajakar lost 6-1 to Bacella and Mensour to drop doubles. Inaki Braun Simo and George Russell were tied against their SLU opposition at #3 but went unfinished with the doubles point clinched.
 
The Mocs battled back in singles with three courts earning a first set win and in need of a fourth court to break into the SLU advantage. No. 24 Fok Kow beat No. 8 Thiel in quick 6-1, 6-1 sets to win the first FSC point, though the Lions won at the #5 court 6-1, 6-1 over Gabriel Jornert. Bosko Boskovic tied the team scores at two with a 6-1, 6-4 win at the #4 court with three courts remaining. Russell, ranked 63^rd, took on No. 2 Soukal, and after a set one loss, Russell battled to a 6-6 set two score. Russell ultimately fell 8-6 in the tiebreak second set but took one of the nation's best to an incredible match. No. 70 Garoz won his first set and outlasted Bacella in a tiebreaker second set to win 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) and tie the team scoring and lead to a final court matchup.
 
Edoardo Melindo had the court six duties and faced Kodai Kato for a chance to advance in the NCAA regionals. Melindo lost his first set 6-3 but battled back to a 6-4 set two win. An incredible effort by the sophomore ended with a SLU 6-3 set three to win, though a great display of grit against tough competition.
 
The Mocs end the 2024 season with a 15-9 overall record, the second-straight year with 15 wins under head coach Rhett Rollyson. All but one of the losses this season came from top-15 programs and today's match was the second time facing the No. 1 team in the ITA Division II rankings. Highlights of the 2024 schedule included an incredible week in March when FSC went 4-0 on the week with wins over No. 4 Mississippi College, No. 28 Auburn Montgomery, and No. 1 Indianapolis in consecutive days. The Mocs were ranked No. 8, the highest since 2011, after that historic week and the first time beating the nation's best. The 21^st time making the NCAA regional and the second time in the last eight years, the close match this season marked a positive end to the 2024 schedule, though not the result intended. Florida Southern has a bright future with several returners with strong regional experience to push the Mocs further into the NCAA postseason.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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