Two University of North Florida sports teams, Men’s Tennis and Beach Volleyball, won ASUN tournament titles and competed in postseason play last week. 

On April 21, the UNF men’s tennis team defeated the Stetson Hatters to notch the program’s third ASUN Tournament title. North Florida finished the regular season on a twelve-game match winning streak, including winning against all ten ASUN Conference foes. 

The Ospreys had to work for the doubles matches, as the doubles team of Juan Pablo Cenoz and PJ Kotan overcame a four-game deficit to win the match 7-6. North Florida dominated singles, winning 8-4, enough to secure the championship. 

After winning the title, the Ospreys earned a bid in the NCAA Tennis Championships. No. 71 North Florida faced No. 10 Florida State on Friday in Tallahassee, but the Ospreys lost 4-1, ending their season and winning streak.

North Florida began doubles play with leads on every court and ended up with a surprising 1-0 lead after Chase Healey and Andreas Scott won their match. However, Florida State methodically climbed back and won the last two doubles matches, giving the Seminoles a 2-1 lead. 

Scott won another match, and that was all the Ospreys could get as the meet flipped to singles play. Despite losing, UNF had one of the best seasons in program history. 

On the other hand, the other UNF team that won an ASUN Championship, Beach Volleyball, started their postseason play much differently. The No. 16 Ospreys defeated No. 17 Chattanooga in the opening round of the National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championships. 

The win was North Florida’s first-ever in the tournament, which was hosted in Gulf Shore, Alabama. The Ospreys took control early in three of their five flights, cementing the 3-0 victory. A flight is similar to a regular volleyball set.

Michaela Rezentes and Taylor Pierce were the first flight to score a point for UNF, defeating their opponents by 12 points. Presley Murray and Madison Espy won the second match for the Ospreys by 15 points, giving both players their 20th win of the season. 

North Florida only needed three matches to secure the win, and the Ospreys advanced to play top-ranked USC later in the day. Unfortunately, UNF faltered early against the Trojans. Despite a valiant effort, the Ospreys lost their first three flights and were eliminated. 

The Trojans won the national championship, so the Ospreys had to face the best team early on. Both UNF teams’  seasons will go down as successes after they both made the postseason tournament and won the ASUN conference, a feat not done often for both programs. 

North Florida athletics has a few sports that will soon compete in the postseason. Those sports include Women’s and Men’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Track, and Softball. Baseball may quickly have a chance to compete in the postseason, but they need to be a top-eight team in the ASUN standings.