Sept. 17, 2001

Some may not have realized what a dramatic finish the USF Dons men's tennis team had last year at the WCC tournament. Seeded eighth in the conference the start of tournament handed the Dons two hard fought losses against Pepperdine (6-1) and St.Mary's (4-3) respectively. This meant that the Dons would take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs for their final match.

USF established a strong rivalry against Gonzaga in previous years with many hotly contested matches in the last few seasons. Entering the final matches of the 2001 West Coast Conference Championship, the stage was set again once again for a barn-burner between the Dons and Bulldogs.

USF's #1 team of Jorgen Arnesen and Brad White had proven they were a duo to be taken seriously as they convincingly disposed of their opponents (8-4). While the Dons #2 doubles team of Ryan Eakes and Sean Dizon were defeated by their Gonzaga foes (8-2). All eyes began to focus on the #3 match featuring Taj Sareen and Mason Fuller, who were the winningest double combo for the Dons all year. The match was close but the Dons couldn't pull the doubles out, losing a tight one (8-6).

That meant they were down 1-0 going into the single matches. Considering a loss to Gonzaga 4-3 during the season but they had previously won the double point in the first meeting the odds were against the Don netters. But adversity was something the team was used to and they knew it would take an entire team effort to win the match.

Once the dust cleared from singles action, the USF Dons upset the Gonzaga Bulldogs in dramatic fashion to take 7th place in the WCC conference for the first time in seven years. Although the seventh place finish may seem somewhat insignificant, but it served as a capstone of the most successful season enjoyed by the men's tennis program in many years and was a culmination of the hard work and dedication displayed by the team throughout the season. The victory was a satisfying moment for the players, coaches and fans. It was the sweat and pain of a class of tennis players before them and the belief that as a team if they set a goal they could achieve that goal by working hard every single day.

One major hurdle for the University of San Francisco men's tennis program was accomplished, with more to come in the 2001-2002 season.