BOCA RATON, FL -- The Florida Atlantic University men's tennis team dropped a narrow 4-3 match to in-state rival University of Central Florida on Friday afternoon at Patch Reef Park in Boca Raton.
The Owls fall to 3-3 on the season and the loss snaps a two-match winning streak. UCF improves to 3-1 on the spring dual match season.
FAU won the top three singles matches, anchored by junior Marc Abdelnour, who picked up a hard fought, three-set win. He won the deciding set in a tiebreaker 10-4 after winning the opening frame by a 6-1 score.
Senior Lawrence Harradine earned a straight-set victory at No. 2 singles by 7-5 and 6-3 scores. Harradine and Abdelnour teamed to lose a tight match to the Knights' top doubles team 9-7.
Rounding out the singles victories was junior Ervin Garibovic at No. 3 singles. The Bradenton, Fla. native won by identical 7-5 scores to pick up the impressive win.
Head Coach Brandon Stokes liked the competitive nature that the Owls demonstrated after dropping the only possible doubles point.
"The top of the singles lineup continues to shine for us," said Stokes. "This match is something we can learn a good deal from. We are excited to return to the court on Sunday and showcase what we learned."
FAU returns to the court on Sunday, February 21 against Florida Gulf Coast University in Boca Raton, starting at 1 p.m.